David Cassidy — Tormented Teen Idol’s Tragic Life

David Cassidy hated being famous as a teen idol from "The Partridge Family" — and his tragic decline after revealing his dementia ended one of showbiz's most turbulent careers!

The showbiz kid joined his stepmom Shirley Jones in the hit '70s sitcom about a family rock band — which also made David into a genuine pop star with hits like "I Think I Love You." But he was also embarrassed to be adored by teenyboppers and dreamed of rock stardom. Sadly, those plans came to a halt after the death of a young fan!

David had discovered new fame overseas after "The Partridge Family" was canceled in 1974. He was still a hit act in the UK, and could entertain young fans while insisting on playing hard rock tunes. David was planning to briefly retire in 1974 to reset his career — but a farewell show as a teen idol ended with 14-year-old Bernadette Whelan being fatally crushed in the crowd.

The shocking death also put an end to Cassidy's master plan — and even though his first comeback release with 1975's "The Higher They Climb, The Harder They Fall" produced some UK hit singles, Cassidy had lost his desire for fame. But his extended retirement came to an abrupt end when he discovered he was broke!

"Hollywood business managers squandered and stole millions of dollars from me," he said. "I made millions in the 1970s and assumed it would always be there. Then suddenly I found out it was all gone!" David tried to return to television as a baby-faced undercover cop in 1978's "Man Undercover," and spent the '80s doing theater and attempting comebacks as a recording star.

But despite some brief successes — including an acclaimed role in the Las Vegas stage extravaganza "EFX" in the early '90s — David constantly found himself in financial troubles. The embittered star refused to consider any "Partridge Family" reunion offers, though — and filed a lawsuit against Sony Pictures in 2011, saying he'd been"swindled" out of his "rightful share"of profits from the show.

The star's face also became ravaged by boozing, with the teen idol going to extremes to maintain his youth. Plastic surgeon Dr. Ellie Levine, who hadn't treated David, told The ENQUIRER: "It appears that he may have had a face-lift, as well as Botox and fillers to his upper face." David insisted, however, that he only dyed his hair, saying: "My mom looked 30 when she was 60!"

His mother had died on December 23, 2012, from dementia — and David spent his final days estranged from other family members, as well. He stayed close to his actor brothers Patrick and Shaun, but confessed that he barely knew daughter Katie Cassidy, who now stars on the hit superhero series "Arrow." “I’ve never had a relationship with her,” he admitted, and was even sued over child support in 2004.

David also ended up in a family feud with his stepmom Shirley Jones — with insiders saying that he was furious when she wrote about his father Jack Cassidy in her own autobiography in 2012. Shirley exposed some of the notorious womanizer's secrets, including his bisexuality and a fondness for group sex. "He begged her not to get into the nitty-gritty details," an insider told The ENQUIRER.

David's reputation took another blow with an appearance on the Comedy Central hit "The Daily Show," where comedian Beth Littlford asked about his reputation as one of Hollywood's most well-endowed stars — with Sophia Loren reportedly once seducing him by saying "I want to see the monster!" David threatened to walk off the set in a segment Beth called ”horrifying, yet riveting.”

Sadly, David also alienated fans as his behavior grew more erratic. "He was desperate for cash," said an industry insider, "but nobody wanted to work with him on the convention circuit. He got paranoid about signing Partridge Family memorabilia, thinking that somebody else would sell it for a profit — and he refused to even look at the fans he forced into buying new photos!"

Things got so bad in David's final years that his old costar Danny Bonaduce — who'd been busted on drug charges and for assaulting a transsexual prostitute — had to reach out to the troubled star. After a humiliating DUI bust in 2010, Danny showed a kinder side of the bitter star, saying: "I wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for David Cassidy's unyielding friendship and support over the years."

David wrapped up his decades of rehab with a final trip in 2015 — but The ENQUIRER revealed that his bankruptcy papers from 2016 showed that he was still making payments for continuing treatment. Fans still suspected that the star was back to boozing after a series of disastrous concert appearances where he'd forget lyrics and ramble to the audience.

He announced that he had dementia in 2017, and struggled to make final farewell appearances before retiring for one last time. The tormented former teen idol tried to find new peace in his final days, too. “I want to focus on what I am, who I am and how I’ve been without any distractions,” he said. “I want to love. I want to enjoy life.”