Image Credit: Jim Smeal/Shutterstock
It was a somber day in Hollywood when news of Ryan O’Neal‘s death broke on December 8, 2023. The late Love Story star’s son, Patrick O’Neal confirmed that his father had passed and shared the news via Instagram that same day. “So this is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to say but here we go. My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us,” his caption began. “This is very difficult for my wife Summer and I, but I will share some feelings to give you an idea of how great a man he is.”
The 56-year-old went on to call his late dad his “hero” and expressed his admiration for his long entertainment career. “My father Ryan O’Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life,” Patrick added. He also shared that when he was born in 1967, Ryan was starring in Peyton Place. Some of Ryan’s other famous works include Barry Lyndon, Paper Moon, What’s Up, Doc?, and others. Amid the proud father‘s passing, learn all about his love life below.
Ryan O’Neal’s First Wife, Joanna Moore
Joanna Moore and Ryan O’Neal pictured in 1966. (Roy Cummings/THA/Shutterstock)
Ryan married his first wife, Joanna Moore, in 1963. The late actress and her then-husband were married for four years and even welcomed two children together. Joanna was a Hollywood starlet known for her work in Monster on the Campus, Walk on the Wild Side, and more. Although the pair called it quits in 1967, they were very much in love and welcomed their first child, a daughter named Tatum O’Neal in 1963. By the following year, Ryan and Joanna expanded their family and welcomed their son, Griffin O’Neal.
Ryan O’Neal’s Second Wife, Leigh Taylor-Young
Leigh Taylor-Young and Ryan O’Neal in 1970. (J Cummings/THA/Shutterstock)
The same year that Ryan and Joanna divorced, he went on to marry actress Leigh Taylor-Young, now 78. Leigh and the then father-of-two were married from 1967 until their divorce in 1974. Ryan’s marriage was notably his longest and his final one, as he did not re-marry following their split. They welcomed only one child, their son Patrick, in 1967.
The proud son doesn’t share photos of his mother often, however, he did gush over her via Instagram in January 2020. “A happy birthday shoutout to my mom @spiritlty turning 75 today. Back in the day with this shot. It’s as if me and the other guy went shirt shopping together. Anyway, serious hold working on that hair. And mom looks great then now, and always,” he penned in the caption.
His Romance With the Late Farrah Fawcett
Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett in 2004. (Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock)
Although Ryan didn’t marry after the end of his second marriage, he did find love once more with the late actress Farrah Fawcett. The Charlie’s Angels starlet and Ryan were first linked to each other in 1979, about five years after his divorce from Leigh. The duo were off-and-on for over three decades until Farrah’s death in 2009. At the time of their budding romance, the blonde beauty was married to actor Lee Majors, however, they split by 1982. By 1985, Farrah and Ryan welcomed their only child together, a son named Redmond O’Neal.
Following Farrah’s death, Ryan made sure to honor her by remembering the late mother on the ten-year anniversary of her passing. “There was never a day I didn’t love her,” he told PEOPLE in 2019. Ryan was set on marrying Farrah and even proposed marriage to her while she was in the hospital ahead of her death. Sadly the starlet died on June 25, 2009.
