Tatum O’Neal Says Dad Ryan ‘Meant the World’ to Her as She Pays Loving Tribute to the ‘Paper Moon’ Star (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal.Photo:Tatum ONeal/ Instagram

Tatum ONeal/ Instagram

Tatum O’Nealis remembering her late fatherRyan O’Neal.

“I feel great sorrow with my father’s passing,” Tatum tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “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 and Tatum O’Neal.Craig Barritt/WireImage

TheLittle Darlingsactress’ statement came after her brother, Patrick O’Neal, shared news of their father’s death onInstagramFriday.

In his tribute, the 56-year-old sports broadcaster said the Oscar-nominated actor “passed away peacefully,” calling him “a Hollywood legend.”

Tatum and Ryan O’Neal during the making of ‘Paper Moon’.Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty

Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty

He continued grieving the loss, referring to his father as his “hero,” adding, “I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life.”

Earlier this year,Tatum celebrated her father’s 82nd birthdaywith a heartwarmingInstagram picturesitting beside her dad.

In the upload, the two were propped on a bed, smiling together asThe Bad News Bearsactress also held onto a small dog. “Happy birthday dad I love you,” she wrote in a simple, but sweet caption.

The famous father-daughter duo starred in 1973’sPaper Moon. The film earned Tatum the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, making her the youngest person to win an Oscar at just 10 years old.

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O’Neal family photo.Sean McEnroe/ Instagram

In September 2020, Tatum’s son Sean McEnroe, 36,posted a family photoof him with grandfather Ryan, and his mom, alongside his siblings, Kevin, 37, and Emily, 32. In his caption, the middle child of Tatum and her ex-husband, tennis icon John McEnroe, revealed it was the first time the family had gathered together in 17 years.

“This is one of the most memorable photos of my life. The last time we were all together was at the 30-yearPaper MoonAnniversary in 2003. I could cry tears of gratitude that everyone in this photo is still alive and thatwe were all able to come together againafter so many years of hardship. The entire West Coast is burning, but if the O’Neals can reconcile, truly anything is possible,” Sean wrote.

source: people.com