David Cassidy admits his dementia has made him scared to leave the house

David Cassidy has bravely opened up about his dementia diagnosis, admitting that he’s now scared to go out in public in case people think that he is drunk.

The 66-year-old singer hit the headlines earlier this month when he fell offstage during a gig and he was forced to go public with his illness after fans assumed that he was intoxicated.

Speaking to Dr. Phil, David shared: “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.”

The star continued: “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.”

Speaking about his choice to leave the limelight following his diagnosis, David added: “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.”

David sadly had to struggle with seeing his mother, Evelyn Ward, “disappear” into dementia until she died at the age of 89, and he confessed that his experience with his mum has left him concerned about his own future, explaining: “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.”

We have to admire David’s honesty at such a tough time and wish him all the best for the future away from the spotlight.