Actor Ryan O'Neal Reunites with Daughter Tatum and Grandchildren for First Time in 17 Years
Being in the public eye is tough on families. While many ordinary people have spats and reconciliation, those who do so publicly have a lot more pressure on them, and many more people know about their dirty laundry.
Actor Ryan O’Neal and his daughter Tatum O’Neal have had issues through the years, to put it lightly.
In 1973, they both starred in “Paper Moon,” and Tatum won an Academy Award for her performance at just 10 years old. Growing up famous left its mark on the young girl, and both she and her father struggled with addiction.
Estranged for nearly a quarter of a century, their disagreements haven’t exactly been private.
In 2004, she published “A Paper Life,” which described in detail how dysfunctional her relationship with Ryan was.
Years later, it was Farrah Fawcett’s return to care for Ryan after he was diagnosed with leukemia that Tatum credited with the father/daughter reconciliation.
“She brought us back together,” Tatum said in 2010, according to People.
“He told me he’s sorry,” she explained. “He’s all I have in terms of family, and I needed him in my life. My dad was absolutely everything to me.”
Things seemed to go downhill between the two again, and Tatum expressed renewed interest in making amends in 2018 while on “Megyn Kelly Today.”
“I want to say to my dad, if you’re watching this, I love you,” she said on the show, according to The Daily Mail. “I’ve always loved you and forgiveness is the best policy.”
“I don’t want to hold on to anger and resentments. I want to have a free, happy and guilt-free life.”
“My dad did a lot of good for me and I have to just respect his life and his process. Maybe someday he and I will have a moment where we [reconcile].”
Still, it’s been nearly two decades since Tatum, her father and her children have spent time together. One of the grandchildren, 32-year-old Sean McEnroe, recently posted a photo on Instagram that has illustrated the family’s growth.
The photo includes 79-year-old Ryan, 56-year-old Tatum and three grandchildren: Kevin, 34; Sean, 32; and Emily, 29.
“This is one of the most memorable photos of my life,” Sean wrote in the caption. “The last time we were all together was at the 30-year Paper Moon Anniversary in 2003.”
“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.”
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