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Who is Tatum O’Neal?
Tatum O’Neal is an author and Oscar-winning actor from the United States. Tatum O’Neal is the youngest Oscar winner, having received the award for her remarkable performance in the 1973 American comedy-drama Paper Moon.
Tatum O’Neal’s life is a complete roller coaster, beginning as the stereotypical child star and progressing through drugs, sorrow, and a failed marriage to emerge as a powerful woman.
In today’s article, we will learn about Tatum O’Neal’s incredible life story, but first, let’s look at some of her fast statistics.
Tatum O’Neal | Childhood
Tatum O’Neal was born on November 5, 1963, in Los Angeles, California, to actors Rуаn ‘Nеаl and оаnnа ооrе.
Griffin O’Neal is her younger brother.
On the surface, Tatum appeared to have been born into a wealthy and distinguished family.
Tatum, on the other hand, had a difficult childhood.
He divorced ‘Nеаl’s mother in 1967 when she was only four years old.
Tatum remained with her mother following the divorce.
Her mother, on the other hand, was a drug addict and alcoholic.
Her mother eventually lost custody, and she moved live with her father.
Following his divorce, her father had multiple relationships.
He married actress Taylor Young and has a son named Patrick with her. Soon after, they divorced.
Tatum and her brother were abandoned by her father after he moved in with his new wife, Farrah Fawcett.
They were left to fend for themselves.
Tatum has an additional half-brother, Rеdmоnd, from her father’s relationship with Fаrrаh Fаwсеtt.
Atum’s mother died at the age of 63 from lung cancer.
Tatum’s father-daughter relationship
Tatum claims in her autobiography, A Paper Life, that she was physically and emotionally mistreated as a result of her father’s drug addiction.
Furthermore, Tatum claims his father is a womanizer who publicly flirted with her at her mother Fawcett’s burial in 2009, completely unaware that she was his daughter.
She claims she went to the burial and her father flirtatiously invited her to have a drink with him in the car.
She was disgusted by his behavior and stated that she was his daughter before leaving.
His father was so high on narcotics that he failed to recognize his daughter.
Tatum claims she and her father have no interaction.
His father was furious when she talked about his behavior in her autobiography.
This further strained their father-daughter bond.
Tatum reconciled with her father after 25 years in 2011.
Through a television show called Ryan and Tatum: The O’Neals, they attempted to mend their damaged father-daughter relationship.
O’Neal developed an Oprah Winfrey Network series that depicted their reunion and reconciliation.
The show only had nine episodes devoted to their relationship.
Tatum O’Neal’s Film Career
The Paper Moon is an award-winning debut novel.
Peter Bogdanovich approached Tatum’s father with the idea of co-starring in a film based on Joe David Brown’s novel Addie Pray (1971).
Tatum was just eight years old at the time and had never performed.
However, she astounded everyone with her outstanding acting abilities in the film Paper Moon.
The film won her critical acclaim, a Golden Globe Award for the best new actress, and an Academy Award nomination.
She is the Academy Award’s youngest Best Supporting Actress winner.
Being the highest-paid child actor
Tatum’s popularity increased after her debut picture.
She earned more than $300,000 for her role in 1976’s Bad News Bears, making her the highest-paid child performer at the time.
Tatum appeared in a number of films, including International Velvet (1978), Nickelodeon (1976), Circle of Two (1980), and others.
In the Faerie Tale Theatre episode “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” she also played the title character.
The Marriage of Tatum O’Neal and John McEnroe
Tatum O’Neal shot to fame after becoming the youngest actress to win Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.
She began to appear in more films and socialize with industry heavyweights.
On the other side, John McEnroe was gradually making his way to the top of the tennis world.
The two celebrities met at a celebrity event.
Following his third triumph, John McEnroe was invited to the reception.
John was the one who made the first move.
McEnroe was a tremendous fan of O’Neal, but he kept his cool about it.
Both remained on the corner, conversing with each other at the celebration.
Despite the fact that it was their first meeting, they hit it off right away.
They even kissed, and that was only the beginning of their budding affair.
Despite their tight schedules, both began dating.
Their relationship was blooming, but something else was blooming alongside it.
It was their drug addiction.
McEnroe did it only for fun, but Tatum O’Neal became addicted.
Tatum was so hooked on narcotics that she was completely out of control.
She utilized every medicine that Mc Enroe had saved.
O’Neal’s heroin addiction was out of control, and they had no idea how to stop it.
Having a child was the solution that sprang to mind at the time.
The couple married privately in Oyster Bay, New York, with no members of Tatum’s family in attendance.
Tatum O’Neal | Kids
Kevin, Tatum O’Neal’s first child, was born in May 1986.
Sean, the couple’s second son, was born in 1988. Emily, their third child, was born in 1991.
The couple’s relationship had hit rock bottom by the time Emily was born.
Tatum O’Neal’s Divorce and Child Custody Fight
Despite the fact that O’Neal overcomes her heroin addiction in order to care for her child.
Their relationship was deteriorating.
Mc Enroe stated that she was resentful of his achievements while she remained at home.
O’Neal, on the other hand, maintains that he was abusive to her.
The couple tried to repair their marriage but ultimately concluded that divorce was the best option.
They divorced legally two years later after splitting up in 1992.
The three children were shared by the ex-couple.
However, when she was forced to spend alternating weeks alone and away from the children, O’Neal’s old tendencies resumed.
She became re-addicted to cocaine and heroin after her marriage ended in divorce.
Emily, aged 7, discovered a syringe in her mother’s apartment one day.
Following the event, McEnroe was given sole custody of the children, and O’Neal was given supervised visitations and required to submit to drug testing before visiting the children.
Tatum O’Neal | Drug Abuse
Tatum O Neal, unfortunately, comes from a family of drug addicts.
Tatum struggled to grow up as a result of her parents’ drug addiction.
As a result of her parent’s drug addiction, the actress was subjected to physical and mental abuse.
On top of that, her parents split when she was four years old.
Her mother was a drug addict and alcoholic who brought a string of guys into the house.
Tatum stated in her book that one of the guys sexually abused her when she was six years old.
Her father then took care of her, and he also physically and mentally mistreated her.
She did not have a happy childhood or parental affection.
As a result, she became addicted to drugs as well.
Her addiction, however, had grown to the point that it was out of control.
Tatum overcame her heroin addiction in order to care for her children.
Her marriage, however, ended, and she lost custody of her children.
She became increasingly interested in drugs.
She was even detained after cops discovered cocaine in her Manhattan apartment.
Following that, O’Neal went to rehab and was able to overcome his drug addiction.
Tatum O’Neal’s | Illness
Tatum O’Neal, 56, was diagnosed with debilitating Rheumatoid arthritis.
The sickness had left scars on her body, which made it difficult for the actress to live with.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, causing inflammation, pain, and swelling.
The condition is one of the most frequent, primarily affecting women.
It can happen at any age, although it most typically happens between the ages of 30 and 50.
Joint pain, stiffness, edema, loss of joint function, weakness, weight loss, and tiredness are all signs of RA.
The actress said it was a difficult journey, and she is relieved to have completed it.
Autobiography of Tatum O’Neal
Tatum O’Neal wrote an autobiography titled A Paper Life in which she discussed her film career, family life, and drug addiction.
She wrote the book in 2004, confessing to being sexually raped by one of her father’s drug dealers when she was just 12 years old.
Tatum also claims that her father abused her physically and emotionally and that it was difficult for her to deal with it.
She also discussed her drug addiction and how it harmed her marriage and connection with her children.
In the book, she admits that she regrets divorcing John McEnroe.
Following the popularity of Paper Life, Tatum released her second book, Found: A Daughter’s Journey Home, in 2011.
This book discussed her connection with her father, marriage, and drug arrest.
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Net Worth of Tatum O’Neal
Tatum O’Neal’s net worth is believed to be $1.5 million.
She was the highest-paid child actor at the time, with almost 35 films to her credit.
The actress was well-known in her youth, but her mature career was damaged by her drug addiction.
Tatum is also a published author.
Her autobiography A paper life, in which she wrote about her life in general, was one of the best-selling autobiographies.
