Griffin O’Neal Barred From Farrah Fawcett Funeral, EXCLUSIVE: Wife Speaks Out (PHOTOS)

Posted on: July 1st, 2009 by: Meg11 comments

Griffin O’Neal Barred From Farrah’s Funeral

EXCLUSIVE:  We reported yesterday that Griffin O’Neal was barred from entering the memorial service for Farrah Fawcett yesterday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Los Angeles.  He and his wife Joanna Berry O’Neal and their young child showed up but were not on the private guest list.

Griffin is the son of actor Ryan O’Neal and actress Joanna Moore.  He and his father have been estranged since an incident in February 2007 led to the arrest of the elder O’Neal.  Ryan claimed at the time that he was protecting Griffin’s pregnant girlfriend when he grabbed a gun and fired shots, only after his son began wildly swinging a fireplace poker.

We reported the above information in a previous story detailing Farrah Fawcett’s funeral – see funeral photos and video here.  We have since heard from Griffin O’Neal’s wife.  Joanna Berry O’Neal wanted to set the record straight about the reason for the estrangement of the father and son:

“I am Griffin’s wife and was present the night of the attack.  Ryan was doing drugs and became enraged, attacking Griffin with the fireplace poker and subsequently smashed me in the face with it, resulting in 10 stitches and fracturing my face in 4 places, and damaging my left eye.

When Griffin wrestled the poker away from his father, as we were trying to flee, Ryan went to get his gun.  Ryan was arrested for assault, not Griffin.  If Griffin had attacked Ryan, he would’ve been arrested.  Ryan tried to spin the story in the media to protect his image.  He is not a nice guy.”

Griffin O’Neal told People magazine in September 2008, “It’s a very screwed-up family.  If you want to be emotionally healthy and strong, you’ve got to get out…it’s a truly sad situation.”  He told Larry King on August 3, 2009 that his father forced cocaine on him at age 11.

In any case, the estrangement is real and Griffin O’Neal, along with his wife and their child, were not allowed to pay their final respects to Farrah Fawcett.

View photos of the family below.  Turns out Ryan O’Neal hit on his own daughter at the funeral – see details here.

Griffin O’Neal - Ryan’s son from a previous marriageGriffin trying desperately to be allowed into funeral

Griffin, Joanna and their sonGriffin on a cellphoneJoanna and their sonThey remove the little boys jacket

Photos:  WENN

Filed under: Celebrities, Farrah Fawcett

  • sammy in lalawood

    Griffin isn’t related to Farrah either. Ryan was married to Farrah. Guess what. That makes Ryan a relative. That makes him in charge as a surviving spouse. Griffin is a sad spoiled rotten drug addict, just like tatum and Redmond are. Those kids are loser brats who need to get a job and stay off their dumbass drugs. Ryan O’Neal is a star. He needs to be treated as such. Good for you Ryan, keeping that ungrateful trouble-maker jerk son Giffin out of Farrah’s funeral.

  • Sharon Stevens

    The funeral home should have sought permission from “next of kin” on who was being allowed to pay respects in the private ceremony. That would be Farrah’s only biological son, Redmond.

    I often have wondered how Farrah contracted such an unusual cancer, as I have researched it, and discovered that women can be infected from a promiscuous man. Hmmmm… I wonder who that might be???

    My final comment concerns Ryan’s “parenting skills” … which I recall Farrah said (in a documented news article) that the reason she has not married Ryan … was “differences in parenting skills”. I look at Tatum, Griffin, and Redmond … and read that they ALL have drug addictions … and they all claim that Ryan encouraged/allowed drug use in his household.

    Ryan, you still have half-decent looks and you certainly can act. You surely were wrong to not allow your own flesh and blood pay respects to Farrah’s demise. That funeral was about HER …. not YOU continuing your long, on-going feud. I still remember when you knocked out Griffin’s front teeth (it was on the front page of the National Enquirer). There was no excuse for such violence to occur, no matter what the reason.

    The public has no idea who is at fault here … but all of the O’Neal’s know. They must be left alone to resolve/or not resolve their differences. Let’s all let them deal with their demons as best they can. If Ryan is such a monster … he is 70 + years old now … he will have to answer for his wrongdoings when the time comes.

  • VICKI JOIBER

    RYAN O NEAL PUT ON A GREAT SHOW ALL HIS MISERABLE LIFE HE NEVER MARRIED FARRAH I WAS NEVER A FAN OF EITHER ONE OF THEM BUT SHE DESERVED BETTER SHE WAS BEATEN AND HE ABUSED HIS KIDS MENTALLY PROPABLY PHYSICALLY AS WELL TO MADELINE THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN DYING AND ONE OF THEM IS LAID OUT FOR THIS MONSTER AND THAT IS TO BE OLD AND LEFT ENTIRELY ALONE KARMA WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

  • disgusted

    GASP! Any animosity between those two should not have been involved in a matter like this. Ryan did not have the right to exclude Griffin because of his own issues with him. Not only did he deny his own son closure, but he denied Farrah the respect she deserved.

  • sadie

    Shame on you Ryan. I think Farrah would have wanted Griffin there. She knew him 30+ years.
    Ryan is a very small person to prevent Griffin, his wife and their small child the chance to pay their respects.

  • David Scott

    I think it is a shame no matter whats happened someone cannot pay their respects.I have just seen the torment Farrah went through in her video and its a tragedy like so many others.She was lucky though in the respect that she was able to fly to Germany and get ferried around in private limos.For some there is no hope at all.

    God bless

  • swtjolee

    I feel the same way in particular sp wrong…sorry … her best friend Alana Stewart is not mentined anywhere… she was the one that was always there for her friend… an he comes along and just tties to hog spotlight… really… Ryan just wants to get in the spotlight… so sorry mj died same day… too bad for you and shame on you!!

  • JC

    You are sooo right ANGELA……Ryan is the one that screwed them all up in the first place….I mean every single one!!! Tatum, Griffin & Redmond! Yes they all had/have mothers as well….and I know that Joanna was never really a great mom or a stable person either….But damn Ryan….You are a sh!t!!

    All I have to say to you Ryan O’Neal is you think your life is sad now……regardless of what your motives were to be by Farrah’s side….Hopefully for your sake there was some good intent there and not just selfish bidding for a 2 sad seconds of spotlight……JUST REMEMBER…….KARMA.is a B!tch….THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT FORGET!!!!!!

  • Kid_58

    I am saddened for you, Griffin, Joanna, and your little boy. So many opportunities to let bygones be bygones missed by Ryan. You are my hero Griffin. Your dads a zero. Show your son how to be a great father. Move on. I had a father like yours. Take all that pain and turn it into love for your child. Thats what I did. My son is 24 now and we have a wonderful relationship.

  • ANGELIA

    POOR LIL BOY HE TRAVELED SO FAR TO SEE HIS FAMILY AND WAS TURNED AWAY I TALKING ABOUT THE LIL GRANDSON THERE IS A TIME AND PLACE TO FORGIVE
    RYAN ONEAL SCREWED THEM ALL UP TO BEGIN WITH WHO LET HIM RUN THE SHOW ANYWAY

  • Madeleine

    This is terrible. They should have been allowed to pay their respects. Ryan O’Neal is not Farrah’s family and had no right to bar anyone, least of all his own son. Ryan is such a useless piece of sh*t. Worst father EVER. And he kept acting like he was SO devoted and in love with Farrah, but years ago he used to beat her. If there were any justice in this world, Farrah would still be alive and Ryan would be six feet under.

« »
  • I was syndicated on BlogHer.com