The actress shared a photo montage and message of thanks on social media on Sunday.
Tatum O'Neal is sharing a message of thanks to friends and fans following the death of her father, Ryan O'Neal, on Friday.
Tatum took to Instagram to share a video that included a photo montage of the father-daughter duo throughout the years, as well as her own personal thanks.
"Thank you everyone for all your love and support," she said in the clip. "He's in heaven now."
The montage showed pics of Ryan and Tatum from the time she was a baby, through their co-starring role in 1973's Paper Moon, to their reconciliation in adulthood.
Tatum was only nine years old when she began filming Paper Moon alongside her father. She'd go on to win an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the youngest person ever (at 10 years old) to win the coveted awards. But her young Hollywood success came at a price.
Tatum struggled with drug addiction throughout her life, and claimed in her 2005 autobiography, A Paper Life, that her father was abusive and introduced her to drugs. They would eventually lose touch for nearly two decades. In 2011, Ryan admitted that he was unaware of his daughter's whereabout for years.
"It's embarrassing," Ryan stated at the time. "I don't know how that happened. I'm only learning now how to [for us] find a way back. We're working on it."
Despite all they'd been through, Ryan and Tatum began their reconciliation in 2011. Parts of their reunion were captured for a short-lived OWN series Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals.
In September 2020, Tatum's son, Sean McEnroe, shared a photo of Ryan, Tatum, and her three children, all reunited amidst the COVID epidemic and ongoing California wildfires.
"This is one of the most memorable photos of my life," Sean captioned the sweet family shot. "The last time we were all together was at the 30-year Paper Moon Anniversary in 2003. I could cry tears of gratitude that everyone in this photo is still alive and that we were all able to come together again after so many years of hardship. The entire West Coast is burning, but if the O’Neals can reconcile, truly anything is possible."
Tatum's last Instagram post with her father was on his 82nd birthday, on April 21, 2023. "Happy birthday dad I love you," she captioned the smiling pic.
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