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Tatum O’Neal paid tribute to her late father, Ryan O’Neal, at his Celebration of Life nearly two months after his passing at age 82.
The “Love Story” actor died on December 8, 2023, of “congestive heart failure.” The underlying cause of cardiomyopathy, according to his death certificate, The Blast reported.
O’Neal’s Celebration of Life was held at the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles on January 27, 2024. Speaking with “Entertainment Tonight” following the memorial service, Tatum admitted that she became very emotional and broke down as she honored her father’s life.
In addition to Tatum and Griffin, his children with his first wife Joanna Moore, O’Neal shared a son, Patrick, with his second wife, Leigh Taylor-Young, per People magazine. He was also the father of Redmond, whom he shared with his longtime partner Farrah Fawcett.
Tatum O’Neal Cried For the 1st Time In Years, She Said
Tatum told ET that her father’s Celebration of Life was a “beautiful thing.” “I sure love my dad,” she added. “I actually cried this morning, which is rare, you know.”
The “Dancing With the Stars” season 2 alum added, “I had actually stopped crying throughout my life, and I cried this morning really hard. It was beautiful. I love my dad, always.”
According to the New York Post, Tatum did not attend a previous, smaller funeral for her father. In January, the outlet reported only one of O’Neal’s four children attended a small memorial service and burial in which he was laid to rest alongside his longtime love Farrah Fawcett.
Patrick O’Neal organized the service and was the only one of O’Neal’s children to attend. Ryan O’Neal’s second wife, Leigh Taylor-Young, attended the funeral along with about 25 other people.
Tatum was known for her sometimes-rocky relationship with her father. They were on good terms in 2023 when she visited him at his home in Malibu. In December, Tatum shared a statement on her father’s death. “I feel great sorrow with my father’s passing,” the Oscar-winning actress told People magazine. “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.”
Ryan O’Neal’s Son Patrick Worked For Nearly 2 Months to Organize His Father’s Celebration of Life
Ryan O’Neal’s son Patrick was also in charge of planning his father’s larger Celebration of Life. In late December, he posted an Instagram update in which he promised that all who loved Ryan would be part of the second memorial service.
“I am in the process of planning my dad’s memorial and celebration of life for late January and everyone who should be there will be there and it will be amazing, trust me. 🔥,” he wrote. “This will be a tribute to the man, his family, his love of boxing, and his legendary career as an actor. I have my work cut out for me because Ryan took about 3 million photos and saved 700 thousand of them.”
Patrick later shared a photo of boxes of his father’s pictures, movie posters, and other memorabilia. “My dad’s memorial and Celebration of Life has been in the planning stages since his passing on 12/8 and considering his career spanned 60+ years it is quite the undertaking,” he wrote.
According to Entertainment Tonight, in addition to his family, Ryan O’Neal’s public memorial service included guests celebrity guests such as Alicia Silverstone, Jacqueline Bisset, Eric Roberts, and Jamie Kennedy.
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