Ryan O’Neal Death Cause Revealed
Legendary ’70s heartthrob Ryan O’Neal passed away earlier this month, and his cause of death was made public on December 22. According to his certificate of death, the late Love Story star died of congestive heart failure, and had suffered from cardiomyopathy during the last several years of his life. The 82-year-old actor was survived by his four children and five grandchildren.
Ryan O’Neal starred in his first feature film, The Big Bounce, in 1969, but his real breakthrough on the cinematic front came with 1970’s Love Story.
Though his career slowed down during the twilight of his life, Ryan O’Neal had a legacy that was unmatched by his contemporaries. Starting out as an amateur boxer before transitioning to acting full-time, O’Neal saw his first success in 1964 when he took on the role of Rodney Harrington on Peyton Place. But the small screen wasn’t enough to contain his talent and charisma, and it didn’t take long for his movie career to kick into high gear.
Ryan O’Neal starred in his first feature film, The Big Bounce, in 1969, but his real breakthrough on the cinematic front came with 1970’s Love Story. His portrayal of Oliver Barret IV landed him nominations for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
To date, Love Story is one of the highest-grossing films of all time (adjusted for inflation) and is widely considered to be one of the most romantic films of all time, according to the American Film Institute.
His last recurring role saw him portraying Max Keenan on the Fox series, Bones.
And that knack for romance certainly carried over into the actor’s love life. Ryan O’Neal fathered four children with three separate partners during his lifetime. His first marriage with Joanna Moore (The Andy Griffith Show) brought us his daughter, Tatum, and his son, Griffin. During his second marriage with Leigh Taylor-Young, he had his second son, Patrick.
Though Ryan O’Neal never married Farrah Fawcett, he had his youngest son, Redmond, with the Charlie’s Angels actress in 1985.
Farrah Fawcett passed away from cancer in 2009, over ten years after her relationship with Ryan O’Neal came to a tumultuous end in 1997. Dealing with his own chronic myelogenous leukemia diagnosis (CML) in 2001, O’Neal reconnected with Fawcett during the final years of her life, as they were both working through similar struggles. He remained by her side until she succumbed to her illness, while he ultimately recovered.
Just two years before his death, Ryan O’Neal was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside his Love Story costar, Ali MacGraw.
Ryan O’Neal had another health scare in 2012 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 Prostate Cancer. But he recovered and continued to work in television through 2017. His last recurring role saw him portraying Max Keenan on the Fox series, Bones.
Just two years before his death, Ryan O’Neal was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside his Love Story costar, Ali MacGraw.
According to his death certificate, Ryan O’Neal was buried at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park. No other ailments were included in the document aside from his congestive heart failure.
Ryan O’Neal died peacefully on December 8, 2023, surrounded by friends and family. Though his passing marks a significant loss to both his family and Hollywood, his legacy will endure for decades to come. Now that we have closure on his cause of death, all we can do now is look back at his life and celebrate his accomplishments as a boxer, an actor, and a father.
Source: The Blast
