The Serious Medical Condition That Danny Bonaduce Lives With

Danny Bonaduce has been in the public eye since he was a child. After playing David Cassidy's bass-playing brother on "The Partridge Family" in the early 1970s, he went on to appear in everything from "CHiPs" to the movie "Corvette Summer." He also tried his hand at a boxing career and became a talk show host with a short-lived self-titled chatfest. But Bonaduce didn't stop talking; he found later success as a radio host, most recently at a classic rock station in Seattle.

But in April 2022, Bonaduce's radio career came to a screeching halt when he began to have medical problems from a mystery ailment that affected his ability to walk and speak. He shared the news with fans via an Instagram post, revealing he would be taking a temporary medical leave of absence from work. The 63-year-old actor also shared that he didn't know what his condition was, but he was pictured standing with a cane. "I need some time to focus on my health right now," he told fans in 2022. "Charlie Chaplin, Willy Wonka, Danny Bonaduce. I've joined the club of cool guys with canes," he added.

The following month, Bonaduce's sister, Celia, teased more details in a Facebook post that he shared on Twitter. "We are not being coy when we say this is a 'mystery illness,'" Celia wrote. "In layman's terms, his balance sucks– super sucks." She also confirmed, "All the great medical minds of Seattle are at work trying to solve this conundrum."

Based on his symptoms, Danny Bonaduce originally thought he'd had a stroke. In a June 2022 interview with Good Morning America, he explained that he woke up one morning in April of that year and couldn't walk and had no balance. His speech was also slurred. "I'd seen my dad have a stroke, and it was the same thing," he said. "I was hoping for a diagnosis but did not get one," the actor added.

It took nearly a year for Bonaduce to get a diagnosis. In a video interview with TMZ, he revealed that after seeing 100 doctors, he was diagnosed with the neurological disorder hydrocephalus in March 2023. The disorder is caused by "an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles deep within the brain," according to the National Institutes of Health. The buildup of liquid puts pressure on the brain and can be caused by a birth defect, tumor, infection, injury, or stroke. Bonaduce admitted that during his reality TV days, he was once hit in the head with a guitar, and he believes that may have caused a brain injury.

While Bonaduce's condition is considered rare, hydrocephalus has affected other celebrities. In 2021, talk show host Nick Cannon revealed that his infant son, Zen, suffered from the disorder and died of a brain tumor, per NBC News. And in February 2023, "Little People, Big World" star Zach Roloff had emergency shunt revision surgery for hydrocephalus, according to Entertainment Tonight.

With a diagnosis finally confirmed, Danny Bonaduce was hopeful for treatment to improve his quality of life. In June 2023, he told TMZ that he would undergo surgery to drain the buildup of fluid in his brain through a shunt. "From what I hear, if the diagnosis is correct, it'll be 50 percent better right [away]," he said days before the surgery. "I will be completely bummed out if this doesn't work," he added. "Ten percent would be great. I'm never gonna run track, never gonna box again, but if I can get from here to my kitchen on my own, bravo!"

On June 5, 2023, Bonaduce's wife, Amy Railsback, revealed that the surgery itself was successful. "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," Amy tweeted to fans. Bonaduce shared his own update. "I lived, b-tch," he tweeted the next day.

While Bonaduce has not yet revealed if his balance has improved, his agent, Paul Anderson, told TMZ that "The Partridge Family" star remains optimistic following the two-hour surgery and will recover at his Seattle home for about a month. It is unclear when he will return to work, but Bonaduce had been doing his radio show from home during his illness, he told TMZ.