Earlier this month, Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando was reportedly hospitalized for mental health treatment following allegations that he sent a fan unsolicited explicit videos.
At the time, a representative for Dando issued a statement to Rolling Stone, saying: “Evan Dando has long struggled with mental health issues dating back to his childhood. He has been admitted to a local hospital, where he is receiving comprehensive care from experienced doctors and mental health professionals.”
Dando’s wife, Antonia Teixeira, has now spoken publicly about the videos, his mental health, and his hospitalization. In an interview with Billboard, Teixeira said Dando has struggled with alcohol and prescription drug abuse throughout their relationship, but that his latest mental health crisis began earlier this year.
She explained that the musician’s condition deteriorated during a recent trip from their home in Brazil to the US, where Dando was scheduled to perform on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and film an episode of NPR “Tiny Desk” Concerts.
According to Teixeira, his behavior became increasingly erratic during the visit. “That day, he was totally out of his mind,” she revealed. “So out of his mind, that the ‘Tiny Desk’ won’t be aired.”
She said his struggles continued after they returned to Brazil, describing the period as one in which “everything went to hell.” She alleges Dando consumed large amounts of Adderall, THC, and mushrooms and sent explicit videos to multiple women via Twitter/X.
After discovering the messages, Teixeira said she took him to the hospital, where he is now receiving care. She also told him she would seek a divorce if he doesn’t complete his treatment.
“You can’t imagine how mad I was when I saw that he was sending messages to girls,” Teixeira said. “I’m very mad, because he betrayed me.”
However, she also suggested that the frontman may not fully remember his actions. “From what I’m looking [at] now, it wasn’t … he doesn’t remember what he did. He was in a mental meltdown.”
Teixeira said Dando was “very embarrassed” when he learned what had happened. She described the episode as possible “self-sabotage,” noting that he had recently completed a new album and that The Lemonheads were preparing for their first full-length tour in nearly 20 years — a run that has since been canceled.
Of his current treatment, she said: “If he’s really, really committed, he can do it.”
“I feel like this is a second phase of his healing,” she added. “It’s him actually taking into his own hands his responsibilities, the consequences, and not blaming other people — and just trying to be better because he wants to be better himself. I’m very hopeful that things will get better.”
