What happened to The Partridge Family star Danny Bonaduce?
Danny Bonaduce, radio host and former child star of The Partridge Family, has survived brain surgery.
That's according to the man himself, who shared a cheeky update regarding his status to Twitter this week after undergoing a two-hour operation on Monday (Tuesday in Australia).
"I lived, bitch," Bonaduce, 63, wrote in response to an article reporting on his surgery outcome.
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The Partridge Family's Danny Bonaduce has successfully survived brain surgery and has begun the recovery process. Instagram/YouTube
Said article was based on comments Bonaduce's long-time friend and agent Paul Anderson made to TMZ hours after Bonaduce's surgery, which Anderson said "went really well" at the time.
According to Anderson, Bonaduce was expected to be released from hospital in the days following the surgery.
Bonaduce, per Anderson, will also have to recover from the surgery at his Seattle home for the next three to four weeks, but his loved ones and doctors are optimistic about his recovery.
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His wife Amy Bonaduce also wrote on Twitter hours after the surgery: "It's been a long day but I just wanted to let you guys know that Danny's surgery went according to plan and he's doing well. 💜"
Last week, Bonaduce announced he would undergo brain surgery for a neurological disorder called hydrocephalus, which is a condition that has caused a build-up of fluid in his brain.
Bonaduce had been suffering from debilitating symptoms for over a year, including slurred speech and balance issues – and the surgery was intended to drain excess liquid from his brain cavities through a shunt.
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What happened to Danny Bonaduce?
It was in April of 2022 that Bonaduce and his wife, Amy Bonaduce, first noticed symptoms of ill health, with his speech becoming slurred. He also lost his ability to walk or balance.
After being hospitalised for five days and undergoing a series of tests, doctors ruled out a stroke but struggled to come up with a diagnosis.
Bonaduce went in for brain surgery on June 5, 2023, with the hopes it would alleviate his symptoms and help get him back on track.
What is Danny Bonaduce's condition hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder caused by a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid deep in the brain. The build-up occurs in the ventricles (cavities) and causes the ventricles to widen, putting harmful pressure on the brain's tissues.
If left untreated, hydrocephalus can result in brain damage or death. While there isn't a cure, the condition can be managed with surgery.
The symptoms of the disorder include difficulty walking, memory problems, headaches, nausea, vision problems, and incontinence.
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Bonaduce has been battling a debilitating health condition for over a year. Instagram
How did Danny Bonaduce become sick?
While Bonaduce doesn't know the full reason as to what caused his condition, he told TMZ he wonders if it's related to the wear and tear he's put himself through over the years, citing his boxing career.
The actor has participated in numerous celebrity boxing events for charity, fighting against Donny Osmond, José Canseco, Robert Shapiro, and Barry Williams.
Bonaduce also had a stint as a professional wrestler and was a key player in the series Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling.
The ex-child star has previously opened up about addiction issues, telling Oprah Winfrey in an interview that he was probably "legally drunk for about 25 years".
Danny Bonaduce's life and career over the years
Bonaduce, born in 1959, became famous as a child actor in the 1970s, starring as Danny Partridge in The Partridge Family.
Bonaduce is the son of veteran TV writer and producer Joseph Bonaduce, and has previously said he grew up in a dysfunctional family, suffering severe physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father.
During and post-Partridge Family, Bonaduce starred in several movies before his career fizzled out in the 1980s. He made a handful of appearances in '90s shows like Married...with Children, The Drew Carey Show, and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.
In 2005, Bonaduce starred in his own reality show, VH1's Breaking Bonaduce. The show ran for two seasons and focused on the former child star's increasingly chaotic life with his then-wife Gretchen and their two children.
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Bonaduce played Danny Partridge in The Partridge Family. Getty
His relationship and family history
Bonaduce has been married three times and is the father of two children.
Bonaduce married his first wife Setsuko Hattori in 1985, and the couple divorced in 1988.
In 1990, Bonaduce went on a blind date with Gretchen Hilmer and they married on the same day. Despite the unusual circumstances, the pair remained married for over 16 years and had two children together. They divorced in 2007.
He met his now-wife Amy Bonaduce (née Railsback) in 2007 and they married in 2010.
Would brain surgery help Danny Bonaduce?
In an interview, Bonaduce said that if the diagnosis is correct, his condition would be better post-surgery.
"From what I hear, if the diagnosis is correct and it's hydrocephalus, it will be 50 per cent better right out [of surgery]," Bonaduce said, but he noted that he didn't want to "get [his] hopes up too much that [he'll] be cured."
"I will be completely bummed out if this doesn't work," he added. "I can't walk correctly. I'm never going to run track, I'm never gonna box again, but if I can get from here to the kitchen on my own, bravo!"
