Actor Michael Madsen has accused his wife of driving their son to suicide. Madsen has filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, but in statements supporting the petition, he said DeAnna Madsen’s behavior caused their son to take his own life in 2022. “I believe Respondent drove him to this by her neglect, drinking, and alcoholism,” he wrote.
The Reservoir Dogs star also blamed his wife for many of his own personal problems. He stated that she had broken into his home and then accused him of domestic violence, leading to his arrest. Accompanying his divorce petition, Mr. Madsen also filed for a restraining order to keep his estranged spouse at least 300 feet away from his home and his vehicles and to cease all contact with their 18-year-old son, Luke.
Madsen filed the documents weeks after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the actor’s arrest for manhandling DeAnna Madsen and locking her out of their house. The 66-year-old Hollywood star posted a $20,000 bond and was released the following day.
The couple’s 26-year-old son, Hudson, killed himself in January 2022. Mr. Madsen later told reporters that he was shocked by Hudson’s death because he showed no signs of depression or any significant mental health problems. However, he also noted that his oldest child had just returned from a US Army deployment to Afghanistan, prompting Madsen to request a military inquiry into his death. The actor said he believed Army officers had “shamed” his son out of seeking help to deal with trauma and inner turmoil that he kept to himself.
The City and County of Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner confirmed that Hudson Madsen had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and listed the manner of death as suicide. The 26-year-old was married and lived with his wife in Hawaii. Michael Madsen later stated that the young couple planned to have a family, making his suicide even more shocking. The Thelma and Louise star said he spoke to his son just days before his death when he seemed in good spirits and optimistic about the future.
