Michael Madsen got sober months before shock death at 66 after years of battling with alcoholism
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Michael Madsen was recently sober when he died, having finally overcome his years-long battle with alcohol.
The Reservoir Dogs star found sobriety in the last few months prior to his shock passing at 66 on Thursday, sources told TMZ.
The beloved actor — who was arrested for driving drunk after crashing his Land Rover into a pole in 2019 — was making a significant effort to turn his life around.
However, insiders are uncertain about his state of mind in the days before he passed away, though they believe he was still committed to his recovery program.
The Kill Bill icon was found ‘unresponsive’ at his Malibu home early Thursday morning. Madsen was pronounced dead at the home. His management later claimed he had died from cardiac arrest.
Madsen had battled alcohol addiction for years, and frequently spent time in rehabilitation programs, including in 2013 when he was court ordered to enroll in rehab for 30 days to treat his ‘severe alcohol problem.’
Michael Madsen was recently sober when he died, having finally overcome his years-long battle with alcohol, according to latest reports; He is pictured in 2023
Amid his alcohol struggles, he also battled with depression as well as a troubled marriage to wife DeAnna. His son Hudson tragically died by suicide in 2022 aged 26.
According to the sources, the actor was in a constant cycle of trying to get his drinking under control.
Despite his own struggles, Madsen consistently tried to help others by mentoring individuals facing similar challenges at a Malibu recovery facility.
Madsen’s longtime friend and assistant, Dougie Smith, told TMZ the actor seemed to be in good health just a week before he died, and even had a routine doctor’s appointment for his rotator cuff.
Meanwhile Perry Wander, who has represented the star for 20 years, said the Kill Bill icon had ‘many struggles’.
‘I just spoke to Michael two days ago,’ Wander told Daily Mail, admitting that ‘I knew he was not well.’
‘Michael was suffering from the effects of alcoholism. He had multiple stints in and out of rehab. He struggled to maintain his sobriety. He was not happy about his life.’
Madsen was also facing a crippling legal battle with his estranged wife, which saw the pair fighting over child support and other finances, his lawyer claimed.
‘I blame her for putting in the screws over his last years of life,’ Wander said, alleging the legal battle, which saw his passport be ‘maliciously revoked’, impacted his ability to travel and work abroad.
‘Michael lived a life of regrets – those regrets being his two marriages,’ he added.
The Reservoir Dogs star — who was arrested for driving drunk after crashing his car into a pole in 2019 — found sobriety in the last few months prior to his shock passing at 66 on Thursday, sources told TMZ; Seen in a 2012 mugshot
Though the actor was making a significant effort to turn his life around, insiders are uncertain about his state of mind in the days before he passed away, and whether he was still committed to his recovery program; Pictured in 2018
Madsen had battled alcohol addiction for years, and frequently spent time in rehabilitation programs, including in 2013 when he was court ordered to enroll in rehab for 30 days to treat his ‘severe alcohol problem’; Pictured in 2019
Madsen’s youngest son paid an emotional tribute to his beloved actor father after his shock death at 66 on Thursday.
Luke Madsen, one of the three sons the actor welcomed with wife DeAnna, took to Instagram to laud his father and ‘tell Hudson I said hi’ – in honor of his brother who died by suicide in 2022.
Sharing three childhood snaps with his father, he wrote: ‘Some Peoples Hero’s Wear Capes. And Fly Shooting Lasers Out Of Their Eyes. Some peoples Hero’s Can Fight Off Armies And Overcome Anything.’
My Hero Wore A Cowboy Hat. My Hero Stood Taller And Stronger Than Any Man I’ve Ever Met.
‘My Hero Understood Me Better Than Anyone. My Hero Is The Coolest Most Badass Human Being I Know.
‘Not Only Was My Hero A Famous Tough Guy Movie Star. My Hero Was My Father. And He Was. Damn Good One.
‘Love You Pops. I’ll See You Again Someday. Tell Hudson I Said Hi.’ [sic].
Luke, along with members of his heartbroken family rushed to the Reservoir Dogs star’s home on Thursday as news of his death broke.
Hours after his death, DailyMail.com obtained photos of Madsen’s heartbroken family — including his estranged wife DeAnna — gathering outside his house.
A man who looked to be Madsen’s son Max, 31, consoled DeAnna while standing in the home’s driveway as more family members arrived.
Madsen’s eldest son Christian, 35, and his youngest son Luke, 19, also appeared to be at the scene.
A statement from the star’s representatives to DailyMail.com read: ‘In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life.
Amid his alcohol struggles, he also battled with depression as well as a troubled marriage. His son Hudson tragically died by suicide in 2022 aged 26 (pictured together in 2011)
Luke, one of the three sons the actor welcomed with wife DeAnna, took to Instagram to laud his father and ‘tell Hudson I said hi’ following his death; Hudson is pictured left, Luke front, with his brothers and mom DeAnna
Luke shared childhood snaps with his beloved father, who he called his ‘hero’
‘Madsen was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems.
‘Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.’
Madsen was best known for his frequent collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino, starring in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
He also starred in 1997’s Donnie Brasco as Sonny Black.
Madsen is survived by his five children, estranged wife DeAnna and his actress sister Virginia Madsen.
He was first wed to Georganne LaPiere, half-sister of singer and actress Cher from 1984-1988.
He welcomed a daughter named Jessica with Dana Mechling.
He was married to Jeannine Bisignano from 1991 to 1995. They have two sons, Christian and Max.
In 1996, he married DeAnna. Together they had three sons, Luke, Kalvin and Hudson.
His death comes 11 months after his domestic violence case – where he was accused of shoving wife DeAnna – was dismissed due to ‘insufficient evidence.’
‘We are thrilled that Michael Madsen is able to put this behind him and look forward to our continued collaboration with more great things coming from this veteran and respected actor,’ his representative said at the time.
The Kill Bill icon was found ‘unresponsive’ at his Malibu home early Thursday morning. Madsen was pronounced dead at the home. His management later claimed he had died from cardiac arrest; Pictured 2004
The star was arrested for domestic violence amid claims he got physical with his spouse. He also allegedly locked her out of their home, which is located in the Los Angeles area.
The Reservoir Dogs star was given a misdemeanor domestic violence charge at the time.
He also had to spend part of his weekend in jail, before posting a $20,000 bond.
Days later in a statement to THR, Madsen’s lawyer Perry Wander insisted that his client was ‘not guilty of domestic violence.’
A representative for the star confirmed the incident saying: ‘It was a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope resolves positively for them both.’
Madsen filed for divorce from DeAnna in September 2024 – and in court papers obtained by DailyMail.com, he accused his estranged wife of driving their son to die by suicide ‘by her neglect, drinking and alcoholism.’
A month later, he issued a regretful Instagram statement apologizing for his claims and denying he had wanted to end their marriage.
He said: ‘Losing a child is the hardest and most painful experience that can happen in this world. I deeply apologize for not correcting this earlier but I love my wife and our other 4 children and have no desire for divorce or blame.
His death comes 11 months after the Kill Bill star was arrested for domestic violence amid claims he got physical with his spouse DeAnna – the case was later tossed out – pictured 2009
‘She had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to our son. It was a horrible loss and choice that was made for reasons that truly cannot ever be known because the person is gone, I don’t think my son is dead, I think he escaped from a life that didn’t make sense anymore.’
It wasn’t Madsen’s first brush with the law. In 2022 the Hollywood actor was arrested for trespassing at a luxury house from which he was evicted, DailyMail.com reported.
It was a $5.3 million Malibu mansion just across the Pacific Coast Highway from La Costa Beach.
A source exclusively told DailyMail.com at the time: ‘Michael had been living at the house since last year, but the lease was in another person’s name.’
The house was leased out by another person and several thousand dollars were owed in back rent, DailyMail.com has learned.
The owner had tried for the past two years to get the tenants evicted, but because of the moratorium on evictions on account of Covid, it took several months to go through the legal process.
His arrest came just a month after his son, US Army Sgt. Hudson Madsen shot himself dead on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where he was stationed with the 25th Infantry Division. Hudson was an Afghan war vet.
Hudson’s death came a week after his wife Carlie underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her breast.
‘I am in shock as my son, whom I just spoke with a few days ago, said he was happy – my last text from him was ‘I love you dad,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
‘I didn’t see any signs of depression. It’s so tragic and sad. I’m just trying to make sense of everything and understand what happened.’
Madsen said his son’s marriage was ‘going strong’ and he had recently completed his first tour in the U.S. Army.
‘He had typical life challenges that people have with finances, but he wanted a family. He was looking towards his future, so its mind-blowing. I just can’t grasp what happened.’
A frequent collaborator of Quentin Tarantino, Madsen starred in films including 1993’s Reservoir Dogs (pictured in a still)
Madsen has requested a full military investigation into his son’s death. The actor thinks ‘the officers and rank and file were shaming’ Hudson for wanting therapy. He believes this stopped him from seeking help for mental health issues he had been keeping to himself.
In 2019, the actor was axed from a $100,000 role in movie Confessions of a Serial Killer after crashing his Land Rover into a pole and subsequently being arrested for DUI. He was later sentenced to four days in jail.
In 2012 he was also arrested for DUI after driving erratically but struck a plea deal that involved attending AA meetings in lieu of more severe punishment.
However, after Madsen failed to attend his court ordered Alcoholics Anonymous meetings his probation was revoked.
That same year he was arrested at his Malibu home after allegedly getting into a physical fight with his son after catching him smoking marijuana.
The actor was being held in jail on $100,000 bail after being charged with child endangerment with cruelty to a child: a felony charge, which means it is considered a crime of high seriousness. He did not face any charges after his arrest for suspected child endangerment.
