Shaun Cassidy calls his father Jack Cassidy 'phony,' reflecting on Hollywood upbringing and family ties

Shaun Cassidy, 67, says his father Jack Cassidy created a public persona marked by a theatrical accent that didn't exist in any country ever, and that the lines between showmanship and fatherhood blurred as the family navigated Hollywood fame. In an interview with People, Cassidy described his father as 'phony' and said his siblings saw through the facade.

Jack Cassidy, known for stage and screen work as well as his role in the family’s public narrative, reportedly cultivated an accent and manner that Shaun says never reflected the man behind it. Cassidy recalled that his father invented this public persona with an accent that didn’t exist in any country ever, and that talk-show appearances often featured a performance that left the children perplexed. Jack Cassidy died in 1976 in an apartment fire at age 49, leaving the family to grapple with legacy and memory as Shaun, then 18, began to chart his own path.

Growing up under a spotlight that was as concentrated as it was complicated, Shaun said his father’s absence in daily family life was as telling as any public triumph. His mother, Shirley Jones, was often pulled away by work around the world, where she racked up film roles while raising Shaun and his siblings from home base in Los Angeles. The couple — who married in 1956 and divorced in 1975 — created a picture of a Hollywood power couple that Shaun says hid a different reality at home. I didn’t get the dad who went to my Little League games or took me on camping trips, he explained. My mom did. Shaun said he essentially raised himself in many ways, relying on a circle of friends and peers who themselves navigated the same pressures.

Behind the scenes, the Partridge Family star’s mother was often away as she built a successful film and television career, a dynamic Shaun said was typical for show folk. He described how the public image and the private reality diverged, noting that the public saw a picture-perfect family even as the children learned to fend for themselves. He recalled Carrie Fisher, who lived two doors down, as a friend and ally during those years, and said many of Hollywood’s younger set leaned on one another to get through the period.

Shaun rose to fame in the late 1970s with the pop hits Da Doo Ron Ron and as Joe Hardy in ABC’s The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. He later shifted away from front-of-camera stardom to writing and producing, helping launch series such as American Gothic, Roar and New Amsterdam. In recent years he prepared for his first major tour in 45 years, revisiting the hits that defined his teenage years and aiming to bring them to a new generation.

David Cassidy, Shaun’s older brother who starred as Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family, also faced the pressures of sudden fame. Shaun said David carried a chip on his shoulder and strove to be seen beyond the quintessential Partridge role, sometimes insisting he was more like Jimi Hendrix than the character America knew. He was like, I’m not Keith Partridge, I’m Jimi Hendrix! Shaun recalled, noting that David’s struggle reflected a broader tension in the family between public adulation and private needs.

In conversations with outlets including AARP, Shaun Cassidy acknowledged that his father’s resentments and the family’s division over the years complicated their legacy. He described a pattern in which Jack Cassidy, married to a much more famous partner in Shirley Jones, felt eclipsed as his son rose to greater fame than his own. The candid reflections underscore the emotional toll of growing up under the Hollywood spotlight and raising questions about what is gained and what is left behind in such households.

Looking back, Shaun says the relationship with his mother has come full circle. He describes caring for Shirley Jones, now 91, as a privilege born from years of mutual care and resilience. What a gift that this woman, who took such great care of me under extraordinary circumstances, is now in the position to be able to take care of her, he said. Jones remains in good health, though memory ebbs and flows with age, Shaun noted with warmth. Even at 91, she’s in very good health, he added, acknowledging the challenges of aging while celebrating the enduring bond they share.

The story of Shaun Cassidy is a reminder of how public personas can blur personal realities in Hollywood, and how resilience often takes the form of gratitude. He has moved beyond the teen-idol era while preserving the music that shaped his generation, and his return to the road signals a reconciliation of past wounds with present purpose.