What We Know About Farrah Fawcett And Ryan O'Neal's Relationship
By ANDREW AMELINCKX
History - Science
Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal had a rollercoaster relationship that spanned 30 years. They met in 1979 when she was married to Lee Majors, and O'Neal was twice divorced.
In 1979, Fawcett left Majors for O'Neal. In a 1989 interview, she said that Majors hadn't been supportive of her and that O'Neal "has always liked me independent."
Fawcett soured on the idea of marriage, but that didn't stop O'Neal from continually asking her to marry him. They reportedly planned to wed in 1980, but nothing came of it.
By 1989, Fawcett seemed happy, but by the end of the 1990s that had changed. They broke up in 1997 after she caught O'Neil cheating, in addition to their often violent fights.
When O'Neal was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2001, he moved back in with Fawcett. Just five years later, Fawcett received her own cancer diagnosis.
In the hours before her death on June 25, 2009, at age 62, O'Neal sat with her, telling her how much he loved her. O'Neil died on December 8, 2023, per The New York Times.
O'Neil remained deeply devoted to Fawcett to the end, calling her "My forever valentine" in an Instagram post featuring a picture of her Hollywood Walk of Fame star and a red rose.