EXCLUSIVE Michael Madsen's distressing private health battle revealed

Daily Mail​

03-07-2025

Michael Madsen was battling an alcohol addiction before he tragically died aged 67, his lawyer and longtime friend has revealed.
The legendary actor was found 'unresponsive' at his home in Malibu, California early Thursday morning. His manager said Madsen had died from 'cardiac arrest'.
But 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.
Madsen died following a cardiac arrest, his manager Ron Smith said, while authorities said they do not suspect any foul play was involved.
It is too soon to tell if Madsen's alleged alcoholism contributed to his sudden death, but studies by the National Institutes of Health have found that heavy drinking can significantly increase the risk of cardiac arrest.
He is survived by his five children. His son Hudson died by suicide in 2022 aged 26.
In a joint statement Thursday, Madsen's managers and publicist said: '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.
'Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts And Poems currently being edited.
'Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.'
Wander echoed the sentiment, telling Daily Mail: 'Michael's legacy is in the films he did with Quentin [Tarantino] and his trove of poetry books.
'Michael was one of the greatest American actors.'
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.
The actor was first wed to Georganne LaPiere, half-sister of singer and actress Cher, from 1984 to 1988.
He welcomed a daughter named Jessica with Dana Mechling.
He was married to Jeannine Bisignano from 1991 to 1995. The pair share 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 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.
'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.'
But that wasn't Madsen's first brush with the law.
He was arrested in 2022 for trespassing at a $5.3 million Malibu mansion from which he had been evicted.
A source exclusively told Daily Mail 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, the insider claimed.
The owner had tried for two years to get the tenants evicted, but because of the moratorium on evictions on account of the Covid-19, it took several months to complete the legal process.
Madsen's 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.
'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",' Madsen told the Los Angeles Times at the time.
'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.'
Hudson died by suicide a week after his wife Carlie had undergone a surgery to remove a tumor from her breast.
Madsen added that his son's marriage had been 'going strong'. '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.'
The Hollywood legend requested a full military investigation into Hudson's death. He suspected 'the officers and rank and file were shaming' Hudson for wanting therapy.
Madsen believed 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.