Katie Cassidy opened up about her challenging relationship with late father David Cassidy before his death in 2017.
“He’s a part of me and always will be,” Katie, 38, said of her father on the Tuesday, March 18 episode of the “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum” podcast.
The former Partridge Family actor had several alcohol-related run-ins with police in the last few years of his life, resulting in court-ordered rehab following a DUI arrest in 2014. He memorably appeared on Dr. Phil in 2017 to discuss his long history of binge-drinking.
David shocked fans in February 2017 by confirming he was retiring from public performances due to a dementia diagnosis. He died in November of that same year after being hospitalized for liver and kidney failure.
Former Arrow star Katie told host Michael Rosenbaum that she still felt connected with David “emotionally” and “spiritually,” even though he’s no longer physically with her.
“He lives inside of me, in a way,” she said.
Katie Cassidy and David Cassidy. Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage
Katie reflected on her father’s struggle with alcohol and insisted that she’d learned to have “forgiveness” towards him.
“It’s something that happened to [him] that made [him] that way, or that’s what they were taught,” she said. “It goes on for generations.”
While she tried to keep in contact with David near the end of his life, Katie said she learned to “accept” that she couldn’t have the ideal father-daughter relationship with him.
“My dad had his own struggles and demons that he tried at times to get a hold of and couldn’t,” she said.
The actress remembered feeling like she could have been “the one to save him,” before ultimately realizing that only David could take on that responsibility.
Katie Cassidy Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
“I couldn’t [save him] and after all, you just have to let it go and understand that people make choices and you can’t control them,” she noted. “You just have to accept and do what’s best for you and take care of yourself, even if that means cutting communication or not having a relationship.”
Katie continued, “I think that’s a piece that a lot of people miss. They think like, ‘Oh, we’re blood and we have to [stay involved].’ … I definitely don’t think family needs to be blood. You have people to lean on who you create community [with] and people who lift each other up.”
The actress was born during David’s affair with former model Sherry Williams, which began when he was still married to second wife, Meryl Tanz. In 2017, David expressed regret over not having an active role in Katie’s upbringing.
“I’ve never had a relationship with her. I wasn’t her father,” he admitted to People at the time. “I was her biological father but I didn’t raise her. She has a completely different life. I’m proud of her. She’s very talented. It’s hard for me to even accept how old she is now.”
When David died later that year, Katie tweeted: “Words cant express the solace our family’s received from all the love & support during this trying time. My father’s last words were ‘So much wasted time.’ This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love as to never waste another minute….thank you.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
