Evan Dando of The Lemonheads was recently hospitalized for mental health issues after allegedly sending unsolicited sexual videos to a fan. But according to his wife, Antonia Teixeira, the episode that led to his hospitalization actually started earlier this year when she and her husband were in the U.S. for a taping of NPR’s Tiny Desk, which she says will never see the light of day.
In a phone call with Billboard on Friday (Feb. 13) — the same day Dando’s rep confirmed the musician had checked in to a hospital in Brazil for mental health issues — Teixeira explained that Dando had been struggling with heavy drinking and prescription drug abuse during their five-year relationship. According to her, Dando’s latest issues began a few weeks prior to him checking into the hospital. The couple had traveled from their home in São Paulo to New York City so that The Lemonheads could appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Jan. 20, after which they went to Washington, D.C., to film a Tiny Desk episode.
It was during that trip that Teixeira says her husband’s behavior started to become erratic, making her concerned. “That day, he was totally out of his mind,” she said. “So out of his mind, that the Tiny Desk won’t be aired.”
NPR had no comment when contacted about the allegedly scrapped Tiny Desk episode. Dando’s rep also declined to comment.
When they got back to Brazil, Teixeira says Dando continued demonstrating unpredictable behavior. In her words, “everything went to hell” one day recently, when she alleges Dando ingested large quantities of Adderall, THC and mushrooms all at once and began exchanging explicit videos with numerous women on X. Upon discovering the videos, Teixeira says she took Dando to the facility where he’s currently receiving care and gave him an ultimatum: If he doesn’t complete his treatment, which she thinks will take at least 30 days, she will get a divorce.
“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.” She also believes he sent the unsolicited video by accident to the wrong woman. “From what I’m looking [at] now, it wasn’t … he doesn’t remember what he did. He was in a mental meltdown.”
Teixeira says that her husband was “very embarrassed” after learning of his actions. She added that she believes his apparent relapse was “self-sabotage,” as he’d recently successfully recorded a new album and was slated to embark on a tour this summer, which has since been canceled. Last year, he released The Lemonheads’ first proper full-length in 19 years, Love Chant, and published a memoir titled Rumors of My Demise, in which he spoke about his history of using drugs such as heroin, speed and cocaine.
Though he quit using hard drugs after spending time in rehab in late 2021, Dando told The New York Times last year that he was still drinking alcohol and consuming “over-the-counter” substances. While speaking to Billboard, Teixeira says she has felt responsible for years for making sure her husband didn’t drink too much or use too many prescription drugs, which she says she’s kept hidden from him in a locked compartment.
But now, Teixeira says Dando’s hospitalization is his chance to take responsibility for his own substance use. “If he’s really, really committed, he can do it,” she shares of his current treatment plan.
“I feel like this is a second phase of his healing, you know?” she adds. “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.”
If you or anyone you know is facing mental health issues and/or issues with substance use, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for free, confidential referrals and resources 24/7 by visiting the SAMHSA website or calling the national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Those in need of support after experiencing sexual harassment, assault or abuse can reach out to RAINN — which is also available 24/7 online, via phone at 800-656-HOPE or text 64673 — for live, confidential help and resources.
