Where Is Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal's Son Now? What to Know About Redmond O'Neal's Troubled Life
Where Is Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal's Son Now? What to Know About Redmond O'Neal's Troubled Life
Nicole BrieseFri, March 13, 2026 at 9:35 PM UTC
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Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, circa 1989 ; Redmond O'Neal attends the 3rd annual American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards on October 5, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.Credit: Robin Platzer/Getty ; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal's son Redmond O’Neal has led a troubled life.
Born in 1985, Redmond's parents had a tumultuous relationship from the time he was little. “We started fighting about Redmond by the time he was 3,” Ryan told Vanity Fair in August 2009.
As he got older, Redmond tried acting, starring in The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars in 1998, and struggled with drug abuse.
“I love him, but I have never seen a more scary side of addiction,” Redmond’s sister Tatum O’Neal told PEOPLE in May 2015. “He’s got addiction problems so bad that it breaks my heart.”
Redmond has also faced serious legal trouble. In June 2018, he was charged with attempted murder in connection with an incident in which he allegedly stabbed two men in a string of violent attacks and robbed a convenience store at gunpoint. He appeared in court in connection with the alleged incident in March 2026 and was seen with tattooed devil horns on his forehead, according to a report.
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, his conservator Mela Murphy, who was also Fawcett's closest friend, said in part, "Redmond has been drug free and a model patient for 5 years now at Patton State Hospital. He has had to overcome so much in his life. We are proud of him and Farrah would be too."
So, where is Redmond O’Neal now? Here's what to know about the life of Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal's son.
Who is Redmond O’Neal?
Farrah Fawcett, son Redmond and Ryan O'Neal.Credit: Steve Grayson/WireImage
Redmond, born on Jan. 30, 1985, is the only son of Fawcett and Ryan.
Redmond was a voice actor in projects like 1998's The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, which Fawcett also featured in, and the cartoon series Johnny Bravo.
What struggles has Redmond faced?
Ryan O'Neal and his son Redmond appear in court on November 13, 2008 in Malibu, California.Credit: REED SAXON/POOL/AFP via Getty
Redmond’s childhood was marked by constant fighting between his parents, according to Ryan.
“We’d have arguments about how to set boundaries for Redmond; bedtime; food; respecting adults; and most vital, why rules must be obeyed,” the actor wrote in his 2012 memoir, Both of Us: My Life With Farrah.
The star detailed one particular incident that affected Redmond deeply. "Suddenly, our 6-year-old son is standing in the doorway in his Winnie-the-Pooh pajamas, staring at us," he recalled. “[Redmond]'s holding a butcher's knife. ... He points the tip of the blade at his chest. 'I'm going to stab myself if you don't stop it!' That ended the argument."
Fawcett and Ryan split in 1997 when Redmond was 12, though they later reconciled.
In 2004, Redmond entered rehab for heroin abuse. The following year, he was placed on probation “on suspicion of methamphetamine and cocaine possession,” per the Los Angeles Times.
In 2008, both Redmond and Ryan were arrested on drug charges after a probation sweep of the actors’ home. Though Redmond pled not guilty, he was later arrested for possession of narcotics and for bringing narcotics into a jail facility in April 2009.
Redmond pleaded no contest to a charge of possessing heroin and was ordered to attend an 18-month rehabilitation program, per The New York Times, which he graduated from in August 2010. "My plan is to move forward with my life, clean and sober," he said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE at the time.
However, he was ordered back to an in-patient treatment facility in 2011 after being charged with felony possession of a firearm and heroin during a traffic stop, per E! Online. "Officers found heroin and marijuana in the vehicle," Sgt. Richard Lewis confirmed to PEOPLE.
In 2015, Redmond was sentenced to three years in state prison but was ultimately released from prison on Sept. 1, 2016. However, he returned to prison in 2018 when he was arrested in connection with an incident in which he allegedly robbed a convenience store at knifepoint in Santa Monica, Calif.
He spoke to Radar Online at the time, stating, “This last arrest, something happened to me. I’m not doing good.”
What did Redmond go to jail for?
Redmond O'Neal at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History on February 2, 2011 in Washington, DC.Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty
Following the arrest, Redmond was charged with two counts of possessing a controlled substance, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, one count each of second-degree robbery, possession of a smoking device and possession of an injection/ingestion device.
Redmond pleaded not guilty, but was later charged with attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of criminal threats, one count of brandishing a knife and one count of battery. He was accused of stabbing two different individuals during a string of violent attacks that allegedly took place between May 2 and May 8, 2018.
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One of the victims reportedly sustained a serious stab wound to his left side after being attacked on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. A second victim was found laying in a pool of blood with what police called “significant and serious stab wounds and cuts to his face, neck and upper body.”
The victim later claimed in a lawsuit that Redmond “plunged a knife three and one-half inches into [his] brain” and then slit his “throat along the carotid artery,” leaving him with “injury to his nervous system and person."
In September 2019, Redmond was deemed “incompetent” to stand trial, at which point he was ordered to be medically treated at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, Calif., per the New York Post.
What did Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal say about Redmond?
Farrah Fawcett and her son Redmond at the 2001 Espy Awards.Credit: Chris Farina/Corbis via Getty
Fawcett rarely gave interviews about her son prior to her 2009 death, though she did briefly remark on his childhood to the Los Angeles Times in June 1999.
“I feel his [childhood] has been distorted,” she said, adding, “It’s been taken too early from him.”
Murphy, who was with the Baby star when she died, told PEOPLE that her last words were of her only son. “She was saying his name, ‘Redmond,' ” Murphy said.
Though Redmond was in prison at the time of his mother’s death, Ryan told PEOPLE that their son spoke to her before she died, telling her “how much he loved her."
"[He] asked her to please forgive him that he was so very, very sorry,” he said.
Redmond was also allowed a brief release from prison to attend his mother’s funeral on June 30, 2009, per Reuters.
Meanwhile, Ryan was open about the struggles his son has faced, telling Vanity Fair that Redmond had been to 13 rehabilitation centers by August 2009.
“He has addictions he can’t control; he goes to sleep in his food. This is not a privileged guy,” Ryan said. “He never had any money; he never had a car; he never had a driver’s license. He’s never been out on the street for a year, because whatever he did, he got caught."
Redmond was incarcerated at Patton State Hospital when his father died of congestive heart failure on Dec. 8, 2023. He did not attend Ryan’s funeral service.
What has Redmond said about his parents?
Farah Fawcett, Ryan O'Neal and son Redmond on October 4 1987 in Paris, France.Credit: Michel Dufour/WireImage
In May 2018, Redmond spoke to Radar Online about his troubled life.
"It's the psychological trauma of my entire life — my whole life experiences have affected me the most,” he said. “Fighting with my father, being kicked out and living on the streets, going to jail, being put in a psychiatric ward, being embarrassed all the time, just because of who my parents are.”
Redmond also opened up about growing up with famous parents. "The pressure that came with that set off a time-bomb in my head," he said. "I never asked for any of this, I never wanted any attention."
Where is Redmond now?
Ryan O'Neal with his 2 sons in June 2017.Credit: Ryan O'Neal/Instagram
In March 2026, Redmond was deemed mentally competent to stand trial. He appeared in court with tattooed devil horn tattoos on his forehead as he was charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, among several other counts.
Redmond's attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf, per a report from the Daily Mail.
Murphy, O'Neal's conservator, provided PEOPLE with an exclusive statement.
"Redmond has been drug free and a model patient for 5 years now at Patton State Hospital," Murphy said. "He has had to overcome so much in his life. We are proud of him and Farrah would be too. He finally got a proper mental health diagnosis and medication."
Murphy continued, "I believe his serious drug problems in the past were a result of not having mental health support in his earlier life. Today, he is participating in 12-step recovery, helps out patients, reads every day, and has found a spiritual life. There are many friends and supporters of Redmond who are in contact with him and are so proud of his journey to recovery."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
