Published: 9:08am PST, December 23, 2023
Ryan O'Neal's cause of death was just announced.
According to The Blast, which obtained the actor's death certificate, O'Neal died of heart failure. The outlet also noted that the Love Story star suffered from cardiomyopathy for years. The Mayor Clinic notes that cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body, which can lead to heart failure.
O'Neal died at St. John's Medical in Los Angeles, according to his death certificate. There were no other factors that led to his death and he was buried at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park.
O'Neal, an Oscar-nominated actor known for “Paper Moon,” “Love Story” and “Peyton Place,” among others, died on Dec. 8 at age 82.
Ryan's son Patrick O'Neal shared the news on his Instagram page, writing heartfelt captions alongside three posts that all included photos of a sunset.
“So this is the hardest thing I've ever had to say, but here we go. My father passed away peacefully today with his loving team by his side, supporting him and loving him as he would us,” he wrote. “This is very difficult for my wife Summer and I, but I will share some feelings to give you an idea of what a great man he is.”
“My father, Ryan O'Neal, has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always larger than life,” he continued. “When I was born in 1967, my father was already a television star on Peyton Place. There he met my mother, Leigh Taylor-Young, and about nine months later (dating or not) I was born. My Father.” became an international film star in the early 1970s with “Love Story,” a decade he celebrated with leading roles in films such as “What's Up, Doc?”, “Paper Moon,” “Barry Lyndon,” “A Bridge Too Far”, “The Main Event” and “The Driver” completely destroyed. “
“He is a Hollywood legend. Period,” Patrick added. “The growth spurt of the first name Ryan can be traced back to my father. That's a fact. He was Rodney Harrington on Peyton Place three days a week (he starred in 500 shows over 5 years) and then of course the name Ryan reached its peak after Love Story (the movie that saved Paramount Studios and gave my dad a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame).”
O'Neal's daughter Tatum, who won an Oscar alongside her father in “Paper Moon,” also paid tribute to her father. She took to Instagram and shared a video that included a photo montage of the father-daughter duo over the years as well as her personal thanks.
“Thank you everyone for all your love and support,” she said in the clip. “He’s in heaven now.”
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