Ryan O'Neal Was Helped into His Car in His Last Public Appearance – Inside His Final Days

• Ryan O'Neal, the star of the film "Love Story," has died at 82.
• The renowned actor died after surviving prostate cancer and leukemia.
• In his last outing, Ryan was spotted in a wheelchair with caregivers helping him into his car.

Ryan O'Neal, who became an instant movie star after starring in the 1970 film "Love Story," has died at 82. His son, Patrick, announced the sad news in a lengthy Instagram post while paying tribute to his father in several other posts but did not mention his cause of death.

Ryan acted alongside Ali MacGraw, and his performance in the film earned him his first and only Academy Award nomination. The actor went on to star in other films including, "Barry Lyndon," "What's Up Doc?," and "People I Know."

Throughout his life, Ryan experienced a few health issues. He was reportedly diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, but his condition was not life-threatening.

At the time of the report by his rep, the actor had already received treatments and was back home. However, the representative did not reveal if he received radiation, chemotherapy, or bone marrow transplants, but he won his battle against leukemia.

In 2009, the actor revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Ryan was fortunate that the cancer was detected early on, and his doctor was optimistic that he would fully recover. However, the actor confessed that the diagnosis was difficult to digest. "It shook me," he said.

The "People I Know" star was happy to have made it to the other side of his illness. He expressed, "I thought I was gone. And suddenly I came back. Not the same man I was, but I'm back."

This diagnosis came three years after Ryan lost his love, Farrah Fawcett, who died from anal cancer at 62. The two had their ups and downs, but their love remained strong until they took their last breaths.

The two met when Farrah was still married to Lee Majors in 1979. Farrah fell in love with the actor after her then-husband asked Ryan to check on her while he was gone. The rest was history, and the rollercoaster relationship between the two actors began. They welcomed a son together, Redmond O'Neal, in 1985, but in 1997, they split.

The couple reunited again in 2001 after Ryan was diagnosed with leukemia. The two had no perfect relationship, but those close to them believed Farrah was never happy without Ryan. "They fought and loved with passion. It was never boring. They were electric together," said a close friend, Sylvia Dorsey.

Ryan was by the actress' side until her last day. He reportedly asked her to marry him, and she agreed, but Farrah did not live long enough to make that happen. On the day before she died, another close friend, Mela Murphy, remembered how Ryan was telling the story of how they first met. The actress did not say much besides rolling her eyes and smiling.

Ten years after Farrah died, Ryan still spoke of how much he loved her. He said, "There was never a day I didn't love her." Even in his last few years alive, the "Love Story" star still looked back at their relationship.

Ryan posted a series of pictures of him and Farrah over the years. He shared a photo of the actress smiling and captioned it "Forever." On her birthday, he posted another sweet moment of them dancing with the words, "FOREVER. Happy birthday, Baby."

In another one, Ryan was seen hugging Farrah, expressing how much he missed her. For Valentine's Day, the actor shared a photo of her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a rose and wrote, "My forever Valentine…"

Ryan was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For the ceremony, he was not alone; his co-star, Ali, was also honored. The "Paper Moon" star could not believe his achievement.

He remembered the days when Hollywood was all about looking for fights and girls and never thought he would have his name on the Walk of Fame, "I thought I'd end up in jail, and look where I am." he said.

​​Ryan O'Neal's Last Days and Tributes

Ryan's relationship with his children had its ups and downs, especially with his daughter Tatum, whom he starred in the film "Paper Moon." Despite their distant relationship, Tatum always spoke fondly of her father.

In one interview, the actress spoke about how difficult her divorce was, but when speaking of her father, she expressed how much she longed for them to have a closer relationship. "He was the first love of my life," she said as she got emotional.

In another interview in 2015, where her son, Kevin McEnroe, spoke about his tell-all book about the ups and downs of his family, Tatum spoke of her relationship with her father, saying, "I will always be there for him."

In 2017, Ryan was spotted walking with a cane in one of his last public moments. However, in 2020, the actor was reunited with his family, including his daughter Tatum. The father and daughter even posed together in front of Farrah's portrait.

Ryan was also supportive of his children's achievements. He proudly shared some of his son Patrick's accomplishments on his Instagram. Just days before his passing, the actor was seen while in a wheelchair and reportedly had a team of caregivers around him.

The actor was seen being wheeled to his vehicle while the caregivers helped him get into his car. He wore sunglasses and a green t-shirt and had a serious facial expression.

After his death, Patrick shared several heartfelt tributes, looking back at the full and rich life that his father had lived, from the mark he left in boxing to his acting career. He remembered to thank all the doctors who helped his father.

Patrick is determined to keep his father's legacy alive despite the negative voices. Tatum even shared secret photos of her and Ryan and expressed how much she and her children loved him. Ryan's memory will be kept alive by his children and family. His fans will also remember him as an iconic actor with multiple film credits.