David's Demise - Alcohol or Dementia?

[eddie146]

I want to believe it was from the dementia, but my heart tells it was always the alcohol. I know there is a family history, but he always seemed drunk in his last appearances and he used the dementia card as a scapegoat. Why else would he say "so much wasted time" as his last words and also the fact his son and wife left him too.

[eddie146]

I never seen a doctors name or any written confirmation from any medical practice stating David was diagnosed with Dementia.

[PracTz]

eddie,

Unless the patient themselves or the surviving family expressly consented to release the patient's medical history/diagnoses, there'd have been NO reason for it to have been in the public domain. In fact, to have it released without the consents would be a serious HIPAA violation.

I'm not defending the late Mr. Cassidy's choices here (nor do consider him to have had a spotless track record re honesty). However; unless the family has released evidence to the contrary, I think it's a safe assumption that he DID have dementia in the last part of his life and, considering that he seemed to have been diagnosed with it at an age decades earlier than his own late mother had been, it's entirely possible that the alcohol consumption may have accelerated the dementia effects!

[Dianne3]

I didn't know that his son left him. I knew his wife did, but not his son.

Also, what is the story about his daughter. Did he contribute to her upbringing at all?

Also, was his father bi-polar? He accidentally started a fire that killed him.

[1960'sTVfan]

He might have been showing early signs of dementia, but I think the years of alcohol abuse was probably the main reason for his demise. When he was admitted to the hospital, he was in bad shape with organ failure and needed a liver transplant. But whatever the cause, it's all very sad and still hard to believe that he's gone.

[eddie146]

So I was sadly right, it was the alcohol.

[TMC]

David Cassidy’s Shocking Confession Before His Death: He Was Still Drinking and Never Had Dementia

In the last years of Partridge Family star made a shocking admission just two months before he died of organ failure on Nov. 21 at the age of 67. After being rushed to the hospital when he fell ill in a recording studio, Cassidy called producers to explain what had happened.

But in a new documentary airing on A&E next week, the Partridge Family star made a shocking admission just two months before he died of organ failure on Nov. 21 at the age of 67. After being rushed to the hospital when he fell ill in a recording studio, Cassidy called producers to explain what had happened.

“I have a liver disease,” Cassidy explained to A&E producer Saralena Weinfield in a recorded conversation. “There is no sign of me having dementia at this stage of my life. It was complete alcohol poisoning.”

Cassidy then followed up with a shocking confession. “The fact is that I lied about my drinking,” he said. “I did this to myself to cover up the sadness and the emptiness.”

As it turned out, Cassidy was still abusing alcohol until the last months of his life, an admission that shocked producers of the docuseries. The bombshell is more devastating to Cassidy’s family, including his kids Katie, 31, and Beau, 27, who assumed he was living a clean and sober life.

Not everyone is Cassidy’s circle is shocked that the actor and singer would lie about his behavior.

“Part of alcoholism is lying,” says Partridge costar Danny Bonaduce. “When you’re an addict, you know you can’t be honest with people. You say what you want them to hear. I can’t be mad at David for that, but it’s still a tragedy.”

Producers of the docuseries debated what they should do with the footage and ultimately decided to edit it into a documentary titled David Cassidy: the Last Session. In the documentary, a frail and weak Cassidy deals with health problems and memory loss as he records a new album in an attempt to stage a comeback.

“I think it will strike a chord with people,” producer John Marks tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, on stands Friday. “He wanted to share this very private part of his life, and to be honest once and for all. And I think he succeeded in doing that.

David Cassidy: the Last Session airs June 11 at 9 p.m. on A&E.

David Cassidy’s Shocking Confession Before His Death: He Was Still Drinking and Never Had Dementia

[eddie146]

yes i will be watching it i called it

[um]

Originally Posted by Dianne3

I didn't know that his son left him. I knew his wife did, but not his son.

Also, what is the story about his daughter. Did he contribute to her upbringing at all?

Also, was his father bi-polar? He accidentally started a fire that killed him.

David's son might not have "left him" but his son did distance himself from his dad because of his dad's alcoholism. David said so on that well -known Piers Morgan interview.
As far as David's daughter, it is a well known fact that David did not bring up his daughter and he only visited her on occasion throughout her life. He had stated it years ago. Katie Cassidy hardly knew her biological father. She first met him when she was about 10 years old. She had recently stated so.

It is also a well known fact that Jack Cassidy (David's father) was probably Bi-Polar even though in 1978 when Jack Cassidy died by drunkenly smoking and falling asleep in bed, there was much less known about Bi Polar illness.

[um]

Originally Posted by TMC

David Cassidy’s Shocking Confession Before His Death: He Was Still Drinking and Never Had Dementia

What is interesting is it is now being revealed that David was actually very sick and hospitalized about two months before his death. It was in September ( or approximately) when he became ill and had to be brought to the hospital due to liver failure. However only a few days before his death did his hospitalization make headlines with the news being that he was in critical condition.
It first seemed as if he had just become very sick on the exact day of the news being made public.
However that is what is what I was wondering about. How could he have just gotten ill suddenly and in two days he was dead? It turns out that he had been hospitalized for several weeks previously.

I am no medical expert but it seems that it is very unlikely that he was functioning normally, even considering his alcoholism and/or dementia and then he instantly became sick and in 3 days was dead. It had to be something that took some time to bring him to such a point of no return, physically.

[TMC]

I started to think about David after hearing the news about Wendy Williams and her own battle with dementia. According to her son, her dementia was alcohol induced. This likely what also happened to Rita Hayworth, who was also reportedly, a heavy drinker.

David during what turned out to be his final television interview with Dr. Phil, said that his mother and maternal grandfather (his mother's father) suffered from dementia. So I wouldn't necessarily hold it against David for immediately suspecting that something like this is genetic.

[Bonniegirl]

I think alcohol related dementia, Wet brain they calll it. Dementia brought on by very heavy drinking.

You know the former talk show host Wendy Williams ? Same thing with her. They think she has the alcohol dementia . Among other health issues, thyroid problems that make her eyes bulge out really bad , and something that has made her feet all deformed. The thyroid and foot issue aten't from the alcohol though, but I'm sure her drinking doesn't help mixing with the meds she must be taking for the other health issues .

I know this thread is about David, but I just saw a documentary on Wendy and the alcohol related dementia reminded me of David.