Ron Galella Archive – File Photos
Kris Kristofferson is reeling from dementia — just as his ex-wife
Rita Coolidge is exposing the shocking secrets of their troubled marriage! The legendary songwriter is suffering from
dementia pugilistica, an insider exclusively told
The National ENQUIRER. The insider claims that Kris believes the condition can be traced back to repeated head blows from his days as an athlete.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Portrait of Kris Kristofferson
Kris, 79, has been complaining about memory loss since 2013, when he reportedly told his inner circle: “They tell me it’s from all the football and boxing and the concussions that I got.” Now his failing memory is so severe he’s forgetting the lyrics to his songs!
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“It’s sad to see a man who was so great with words find that they are failing him now,” said the spy. Kris' memory now fades more each day, and even he has admitted: “My brain is so destroyed. To me, it’s amazing I can still get up and go to the show.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Kris has several concerts scheduled this summer, but they're on shared bills with other celebs to reduce his time onstage. Insiders said it’s extremely unlikely he’ll ever perform solo shows again. The songwriter who found fame with Barbra Streisand in "A Star Is Born" might be losing some of his female audience, anyway — thanks to his ex-wife remembering what he'd like to forget!
Photo credit: Getty Images
THE SINGER RITA COOLIDGE
In the manuscript of a troubling new memoir obtained by The ENQUIRER, pop diva Rita — best-known for her chart-topping cover of "Higher and Higher" — said a slew of women told her that Kris seduced them behind her back!
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The two had married in 1973, and Kris' years as a drunk who was “blatantly unfaithful” is a big part of the new book “Delta Lady.” That includes the abusive aftermath of Kris posing with actress Sarah Miles for very intimate photos in Playboy.
Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge
Rita claims Kris came back from the shoot all boozed up — and Rita says he went into a violent rampage! “Suddenly," she wrote, "he whirled around and struck me with his fist square in my eye." Reeling from pain, she tried to make a joke out of it. But that night, she revealed, he slugged her again “hard, in the face, and then stumbled down the hall to the bedroom."
Kris Kristofferson and His Spouse Rita Coolidge
“I cried for most of the night,” wrote Rita. Confronted with her black eye the next morning, Rita writes, he claimed “he didn’t remember any of it.” Kris finally got sober, but Rita writes about finally dumping him in 1979.
Jack Ingram and Friends Concert – Austin, TX – 2013
While Rita is promoting her new book, Kris is preparing the summer tour that allows him to shorten his time onstage. His old record label is preparing a 14-CD box set to be released in June. "That's a classic move," said an industry insider. "Nothing like a career-spanning compilation when you think a star is about to be forced into retirement or die!"