David Cassidy’s dementia has stopped him wanting to go out as he fears people will mistakenly think he is drunk.
The 66-year-old pop legend insists he "certainly wasn’t intoxicated" when he was seen falling offstage during a gig earlier this month and doesn’t like going out as much now as he worries people will get the wrong end of the stick.
Speaking to Dr. Phil McGraw, he said: "When friends of yours or family members begin to say to you, ‘Remember, I just told you this two days ago,’ and there’s no memory of it, that’s when I began to be very concerned.
"I certainly wasn’t intoxicated, and it has nothing to do with why I’m leaving [the industry]. Certainly, my dementia has contributed to the reason why I don’t want to go out, and I don’t want to hear, ‘Well, he looked like he was drunk.’ … I wasn’t."
David opened up about his battle with dementia, a condition which is marked by memory disorders and personality changes, and the struggle of witnessing his own mother Evelyn Ward "disappear" into dementia until her death at the age of 89.
He said: "I was in denial, but a part of me always knew this was coming … I want to focus on what I am, who I am and how I’ve been without any distractions. I want to love. I want to enjoy life …
"In the end, the only way I knew she [his mother] recognised me is with one single tear that would drop from her eye every time I walked into the room. … I feared I would end up that way."
David has struggled with substance abuse in the past and did a stint in rehab in 2014 to help him deal with his demons, most likely prompted by when he was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in November 2010 and again in August 2013 and January 2014.
David Cassidy fears going out in public
