How Ryan O'Neal Reunited with His Daughter Tatum Before His Death After 'Years of Hardship'

Mar. 15, 2025

Ryan O’Neal (L) and Tatum O’Neal attend the “Paper Moon” Screening at the Camelot Theatre during the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 16, 2011 in Palm Springs, California.Photo:Michael Buckner/Getty

Michael Buckner/Getty

Ryan O’Nealand his daughter,Tatum O’Neal, repaired their relationship after a 20-year estrangement ahead of theactor’s death on Friday at age 82.

Tatum, 60 — who starred alongside her father in the 1974 moviePaper Moonat the age of 10, and later became the youngest Academy Award winner for her role in the film — had previously documented her challenging relationship with her father in her 2004 biographyA Paper Life.

“This is one of the most memorable photos of my life. The last time we were all together was at the 30-year Paper Moon Anniversary in 2003," Sean, now 36, captioned the photo, which showed both Tatum and Ryan smiling alongside Sean and the two other children Tatum shares with ex-husbandJohn McEnroe— son Kevin, now 37, and daughter Emily, now 32.

Sean continued, “I could cry tears of gratitude that everyone in this photo is still alive and that we were all able to come together again after so many years of hardship. The entire West Coast is burning, but if the O’Neals can reconcile, truly anything is possible 🙏🏻☺️💛#Reconciliation #Forgiveness #Wholeness #Love #FAMILY.”

Though the father and daughter were estranged from each other for many years, they began their journey toward reconciliation in 2008 after Ryan’s then-partner Fawcett was diagnosed with cancer.

Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal at Raquel Welch “Beyond The Cleavage” Book Party Hosted By Alana Stewart at Oscar de La Renta Boutique on May 6, 2010 in West Hollywood, California.Craig Barritt/WireImage

Craig Barritt/WireImage

Speakingto PEOPLE in 2010, Tatum explained that she had given Ryan’s phone number to her son Sean, as she was concerned about her father’s wellbeing amid Fawcett’s illness. She also reached out to theCharlie’s Angelsstar herself before her death.

Tatum then said that several months after Fawcett’s death at age 62 in June 2009, she received a call from her father, and the pair arranged to meet.

“It was as if time stood still,” Ryan told PEOPLE at the time. “She’s so happy. This is a different person than I remember.”

“He told me he’s sorry,” Tatum said of the meeting. “He’s all I have in terms of family, and I needed him in my life. My dad was absolutely everything to me.”

Tatum admitted that the death of Fawcett had “played a very big role” in her and her father reuniting.

“She brought us back together,” the actress said at the time, while also revealing that the tragic death had caused her to reflect on her father’s mortality.

Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal attend the “Paper Moon” Screening at the Camelot Theatre during the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 16, 2011 in Palm Springs, California.Michael Buckner/Getty

“God forbid something were to have happened to my dad. I don’t know if I could have lived with myself," she said.

Ryan also reflected at the time on his role as a parent and how his absence may have contributed to Tatum’s struggles in life.

“I might have been able to help her,” he admitted. “She didn’t have anyone after her mother died. She didn’t want me, and she said I abandoned her, and I did. … A lot of harsh things were done.”

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Back in April, Tatum posted a sweet photograph with her father in celebration of his 82nd birthday.

“Happy birthday dad I love you,” she wroteon Instagramalongside a photograph of the two smiling together as they sat on a bed.

“I feel great sorrow with my father’s passing,” she said.

“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.

source: people.com