In December, Ryan O’Neal died due to congestive heart failure and a battle with leukemia and prostate cancer.

Only one out of four of his children was in attendance at his memorial service, where he was buried beside his late partner, Farrah Fawcett.

O’Neal’s son Griffin O’Neal, 59, claimed that he was “never invited” to the ceremony because “I’m the hated son who told the truth. Dark times in this family. Love means never having to say you’re sorry — and Ryan never did, to anyone,” he told the New York Post.

Griffin drove 2,000 miles from his home in Houston and upon his arrival he was informed that the service would not be held until after Christmas. However, it was held on Christmas Eve.

Tatum O’Neal and half-brother Redmond O’Neal were also not invited to attend the service. Patrick O’Neal was the only one of the O’Neal children in attendance.

Redmond, who is currently serving a sentence in a San Bernardino, California, prison on murder and drug charges, was present at his mother’s funeral but was not invited to his father’s.

He was reported to have been the chief beneficiary of Ryan’s $30 million estate. Ryan often negatively referred to Redmond, calling him “the poor, stupid boy.”

Ryan was buried in Los Angeles next to Fawcett. Although they were buried together, Fawcett’s desire reportedly was to be cremated and to have her ashes sent to her family in Texas.

Griffin stated that he and his father had not spoken in 17 years after a major verbal exchange and physical altercation at Ryan’s house in Malibu.

Although they fought, Griffin still wished his father well. “Ryan was not the easiest father,” he said. “He was stubborn. All those years, he never reached out once.”

Tatum claims that she and her father ended on good terms and for that she is lucky. However, she was not in attendance at the memorial service despite her travel with Griffin to the service.

Friends of Fawcett say that her true desire was to be cremated, like her mother, Pauline, however, she was laid to rest in L.A. with a blank space on her tombstone that was waiting for Ryan’s name upon his passing.

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Morgan Lee Powers

Article by Morgan Lee Powers

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