David Bruce Cassidy (born April 12, 1950) is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is widely known for his role as Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical-sitcom The Partridge Family, which led to him becoming one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols and pop singers of the 1970s. He has since had a career in both acting and music.

Biography

Cassidy's first wife was actress Kay Lenz, whom he married on April 3, 1977, and divorced on December 28, 1983, although one reference claims 1982.

His second wife was horse breeder Meryl Tanz, whom he married in 1984. They met in 1974 at a Lexington, Kentucky horse sale. This marriage ended in 1985, or 1986.

He has a daughter, actress Katie Cassidy, born in 1986, from a relationship with Sherry Benedon.

Cassidy married Sue Shifrin on March 30, 1991, his third and her second marriage. They had one child, Beau, in 1991. In August 2013, Cassidy's Los Angeles publicist confirmed that the couple were separated, with Shifrin filing for divorce in February 2014.

Cassidy has lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida since 2002. He filed for bankruptcy in 2015.

Cassidy was featured on the January/February 2013 cover of Making Music Magazine to discuss his life and career.

His decades-long friend, acting mentor and stepmother, Shirley Jones, has reported that Cassidy no longer has contact with her or his step-brothers. Jones said of Cassidy's alcoholic behavior combined with his legal battles, "We are just scared to death that we are going to wake up one morning and find out that he is dead on the floor." Jones also added: "David has not had a relationship with anyone in the family for years. We are sick over it!"


Alcohol problem
In 2008, Cassidy publicly admitted he had an alcohol problem.


Legal issues
He was arrested for driving under the influence in Florida on November 3, 2010, and was arrested for DUI a second time in Schodack, New York in the early hours of August 21, 2013. He was pulled over after failing to dim his headlights as he passed a police car going in the opposite direction. After performing poorly on a field sobriety test, Cassidy was subjected to an alcohol breath test returning a blood alcohol level of 0.10, which is above the New York State legal limit of 0.08. The arresting officer, named Tom Jones, reported that Cassidy was polite and courteous, and jokingly asked officer Jones "What's New Pussycat?" in reference to the 1965 hit song by the singer Tom Jones. Cassidy was subsequently charged, taken to jail, and released several hours later on $2,500 bail. He faced felony charges because of his prior DUI in Florida in 2010. In May 12, 2015, Cassidy was sentenced, on the charge of driving while intoxicated from 2013 in New York, to community service, a fine and other consequences including a suspended license for 6 months.

Cassidy was arrested on suspicion of DUI in California on January 10, 2014 after he made an illegal right turn against a red light. He was held overnight in jail. In that case, he was ordered to go to inpatient rehab and was put on probation for five years.

Cassidy was cited in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on charges of leaving the scene of a car accident, expired tags, improper lane change and driving on a suspended license (his license was suspended for 6 months in the May 2015 sentencing of the New York case) on September 9, 2015.


Activism
In 2011, Cassidy recorded a public service announcement for Alzheimer's research and prevention—due to his mother, Evelyn Ward, having the disease—and said that he will champion that cause whenever possible. He planned to address Congress in 2012.

Cassidy is a long-time registered Democrat. Describing Republican candidates for president Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich as a panelist on The Colbert Report, Cassidy stated, "I believe the both of them are the most embarrassing, sad, pathetic.