Tatum O’Neal has shared a blunt, three-word response after learning she was excluded from her father Ryan O’Neal’s will. The 61-year-old Oscar winner, who has had a tumultuous relationship with her father over the years, remarked, “Keep it, motherf****r,” upon discovering she would not inherit any portion of his estimated $30 million estate.
In an interview with Variety, the Paper Moon actress suggested that her first memoir, A Paper Life, which detailed her father’s violent temper and allegations of sexual abuse by a member of his inner circle, may have led to her being disinherited.
Tatum O’Neal explained, “The first book I wrote was just a f***ing honest book. And that’s what got him.”
Despite their strained relationship, the pair reconciled before Ryan’s death at 82 in December 2023. Tatum recalled her final visit, where her father allegedly offered her drugs, even though she is a recovering addict. She shared, “I know he was drinking, smoking a lot of pot, and he was like, ‘Here, take a pill.’ I was like, ‘No, thank you.'”
Tatum’s son, Kevin McEnroe—whose father is tennis legend John McEnroe—revealed that his mother did indeed drink alcohol during her last visit with Ryan. He remarked, “Every single time she’s seen her dad my entire life, something happens.” Kevin also described Ryan’s fortune as “blood money,” adding that his mother is now “letting go of how much space he took up in her life.”
Ryan and Tatum’s relationship had long been marred by estrangement, with a particularly painful 25-year rift following their collaboration on Paper Moon. The father-daughter pair starred together in the 1973 comedy-drama, with Tatum playing the role of Addie, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the time, she was only nine years old, making her the youngest-ever recipient of a competitive Oscar.
Tatum has previously claimed that her father “hated” her due to her Oscar win, a sentiment that appears to have contributed to their fractured relationship over the years.#newsafro_
