Celebrity
Ryan O’Neal’s Funeral Sparked Controversy—Why His Own Son Wasn’t Invited
Until the end, Ryan O’Neal fought two different forms of cancer.
Hollywood mourned a legendary actor after his death in 2023, but his own son did not show up for the burial.
After a protracted fight against prostate cancer and leukemia, Ryan O’Neal died on December 8, 2023, at the age of 82. Congestive heart failure was the cause of death. It was clear from O’Neal’s last photos that his health had deteriorated considerably. The once-enthusiastic performer, who was renowned for his charm and charisma, looked weak and exhausted.
The award-winning star became well-known as the archetypal leading man in classic movies like Stanley Kubrick’s historical epic Barry Lyndon and the heartbreaking Love Story. He was a true heartthrob in his prime, enthralling crowds and winning the respect of ladies worldwide.
However, scandal frequently overshadowed his private life, particularly his turbulent relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett. For those who might not recall, Farrah was a trailblazing figure in the 1970s, representing a brand-new sex symbol that motivated both adolescent girls and guys.
Girls wanted to imitate her trademark style, while boys were enamored with her beauty. She demonstrated her abilities as a successful actress in the 1980s, proving she was more than simply a lovely face.
Incarcerated in a state hospital
Redmond James Fawcett O’Neal, Ryan and Farrah’s son, was born in 1985. Redmond, meanwhile, was conspicuously missing from the service when Ryan was laid to rest. Given that the 38-year-old was confined in a California state hospital at the time of his father’s funeral, this may not have been shocking.
Redmond Fawcett O’Neal has battled alcoholism and drug addiction throughout his life. In addition, he has mental health conditions such schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder, and bipolar disorder.
Multiple incarcerations and an extended hospitalization in a mental health facility have resulted from these difficulties. Ryan O’Neal promised Farrah Fawcett on her deathbed that he would take care of Redmond, but their relationship soured so much that Redmond refused to see his father when he was receiving treatment.
The circumstances surrounding Redmond’s mother, Farrah, when she died in 2009, were in sharp contrast to this one.
Redmond was shackled by her bedside at the time. He wore the same restrictions to her burial as well.
Three of four children absent
The fact that two of Redmond’s other children were reportedly absent from the 82-year-old star’s modest memorial service at Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles was even more stunning than the fact that many understood his absence from the burial.
Griffin O’Neal, one of O’Neal’s sons, disclosed that he was not even invited to the event.
“I’m the hated son who told the truth. There are dark times in this family. Love means never having to say you’re sorry — and Ryan never did, to anyone,” he said.
According to the New York Post, Griffin, the son of O’Neal’s first marriage to Joanna Moore, traveled 2,000 miles from his Houston, Texas, home to attend the memorial service.
But when he got there, he discovered that the service wasn’t going to happen until the weekend after Christmas.
“I wasn’t even invited to send him off,” Griffin O’Neal told The Post.
Griffin claimed that it had been 17 years since he and his father had communicated. Following a violent confrontation at Ryan O’Neal’s Malibu house in 2007, where Griffin allegedly swung a fireplace poker at his father and Ryan pointed a gun at him, their relationship ended. O’Neal remarked, “I could have hit him, but I missed.”
Griffin still wished to bid his father farewell in spite of this past. But his brother, 57-year-old Los Angeles sportscaster Patrick O’Neal, who had been closer to his father in recent years, didn’t feel that way.
The Post claims that Patrick was the one who planned the funeral.
Only around 25 people showed up for the memorial service, including Ryan’s second wife and Patrick’s mother, the 79-year-old actress Leigh Taylor-Young. One could anticipate that Ryan O’Neal’s memorial ceremony would have been a lavish event given the enormous impact he had on Hollywood history.
According to The New York Post, Ryan’s daughter Tatum O’Neal, who was born out of his marriage to actress Joanna Moore, was also absent. They had a complex relationship that dated back many years.
“I’m a hopeless father. I don’t know why. I don’t think I was supposed to be a father,” O’Neal told Vanity Fair in 2009.
Reconciled with his daughter
Thankfully, following years of suffering and a 20-year separation, Ryan and Tatum got back together in the late 2000s.
Tatum had two reunions with her father after a drug overdose-related stroke in 2020, including a trip to Malibu for his birthday in April 2023. It appears that they became closer right before Ryan died.
“I feel great sorrow with my father’s passing,” Tatum said in a statement after his death.
“He meant the world to me. I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I’ll miss him forever and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms,” Tatum added.
Redwood-colored coffin
The brief service took place inside the chapel at the Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery, which is frequented by celebrities, according to the Daily Mail.
O’Neal’s redwood-colored casket was carried to his final resting place next to his longtime partner, Farrah Fawcett, after the funeral.
Following Farrah’s passing, O’Neal expressed his regrets over their connection in public. He expressed his opinion that he didn’t spend enough time with her.
The two of them stood by one other through thick and thin, despite their problems. When O’Neal was stricken with leukemia, Farrah took care of him, and he had supported her during her fight against anal cancer.
O’Neal wanted to be buried next to the woman he loved, possibly to fulfill his hope that he might have spent more time with the late actress. Actually, since Farrah’s death, half of her big gravestone has been blank, waiting for Ryan O’Neal’s name to be added.
Going against Farrah’s final wishes?
But like other aspects of their relationship, there was some controversy surrounding Farrah’s funeral.
Greg Lott, Fawcett’s University of Texas college sweetheart, stepped out and accused O’Neal of disobeying Farrah’s last requests.
“She never wanted a burial or a monument where people could come gawk at her,” Lott told The Post.
“Ryan created this narrative like it was this big love story, and they (Ryan and his lawyers) took over her life at the end, sedating her and forging documents.”
Similar opinions were voiced by Craig Nevius, Farrah’s friend and producer of the 2005 reality TV program Chasing Farrah:
“I don’t think he had the authority to decide that she would be buried and him later with her — but that’s clearly what he did,” Nevius said.
“It’s been so bizarre to see her name at the top of this big gravestone with nothing on the bottom. My guess is that his name will be on there soon, with the words ‘Love Story.”
Love Story not inscribed on the gravestone
Love Story is not written on the gravestone, since that did not occur. Rather, their names—along with their dates—are inscribed there for both Farrah and Ryan.
Furthermore, the rumors that Ryan and his group pushed through anything have been categorically denied. Farrah’s longtime friend and Rod Stewart’s ex-wife, Alana Stewart, 79, refuted claims that O’Neal exploited her or overstated their relationship.
“He and Farrah loved each other deeply,” Stewart told The Post.
“She died in his arms, and she was there for him when he had leukemia. I saw their love as this great love story. Sure, it had its dark moments. He could be volatile, but Ryan could also be the sweetest, most generous, funniest guy in the world.”
Defends his father
Patrick, the son of Ryan O’Neal, seems determined to protect his father as well, declaring that he will not permit anyone to damage the actor’s reputation without repercussions.
“If you choose to talk s–t about my dad, even though you have no clue what you are talking about, you will get called out. If you go that route, I recommend you take a good look in the mirror first,” Patrick, a longtime sportscaster and current play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels, wrote on Instagram.
Prior to the Emmys on September 15, 2024, Patrick O’Neal criticized the Television Academy harshly.
“Tonight is the Emmys and I have zero confidence the @televisionacad will honor my dad for the ‘in memoriam’ segment. I am a member of the academy, and despite my best efforts, they would not tell me if this TV LEGEND will be on the telecast,” Patrick wrote on Instagram.
”The TV Academy failed miserably by not adding him back in January. I will not be watching the show, but rather enjoying a quality birthday dinner with my beautiful wife, Summer.”
Emmy’s controversy
Patrick’s father had not been included in the memorial tribute earlier in January.
“Wasn’t watching #Emmys but someone let me know they left my dad out of the ‘in memoriam,’” Patrick posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Kind of wish I didn’t know right now but I would’ve found out. Sad and mad is a paralyzing combo.”
However, Patrick was able to see his father’s honoring in September of this year.
“Thank you to the Television Academy for including my dad in the ‘in memoriam’ segment. I am posting a young Ryan just as he was embarking on a long-lasting TV career as an actor. He truly loved acting on television, and Rodney Harrington, aka Ryan O’Neal, would have something clever to say with full humility.”
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