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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.”
He called 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 father of four‘s passing, learn all about his love life below.
Ryan O’Neal’s First Wife, Joanna Moore
Ryan married his first wife, Joanna Moore, in 1963. The late actress and her then-husband were married for four years and welcomed two children together. Joanna was a Hollywood star in her own right, 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
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 to Leigh was his longest and his final one, as he did not re-marry following their split. They welcomed 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 wrote in the caption.
His Romance With the Late Farrah Fawcett
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 was 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. They split by 1982, and by 1985, Farrah and Ryan welcomed their only child together, a son named Redmond O’Neal.
Following Farrah’s death, Ryan honored 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, she died on June 25, 2009.
On December 23, 2023, a report emerged that he’d been laid to rest alongside his longtime love. According to Daily Mail, he was buried that same day in Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, next to Farrah. The intimate ceremony included about 25 people in attendance, including his ex-wife, Leigh Taylor-Young.
