From surviving addiction, a stroke, and then being left out of her late father Ryan O’Neal’s will, Tatum O’Neal has been through a lot of ups and downs in her life. At the age of 10, O’Neal became the youngest ever to win the Academy Award for her performance in Paper Moon. She even dated American tennis star John McEnroe in her early 20s, and they then got married in 1986. However, their marriage lasted for only eight years as the couple parted ways with each other in 1994. Recently, Tatum O’Neal was seen narrating her story of how she overcame all these challenging phases in her life. After hearing this, her daughter, Emily, couldn’t stop herself from giving out a heartfelt reaction.

John McEnroe and Tatum O’Neal have three children together: Kevin, Sean, and Emily McEnroe. However, after their divorce, O’Neal lost custody of her children and developed a d— addiction. Was this addiction the root cause of their split? Well, previously, the couple was even spotted accusing each other of steroid use. During a previous interview with the ABC network, O’Neal said, “He (McEnroe) used steroids when he was coming back after Sean was born. I made him stop because he was becoming violent.” However, after hearing this, John McEnroe said these allegations were “ridiculous, absurd and very sad.” 

Then in a recent, interview with Variety, Tatum O’Neal was seen opening up about her own struggles with addiction, her bitter relationship with her father, and her near-death experience. She revealed how her father’s abusive nature had exposed her to a toxic environment with all sorts of things like d— addiction right from a very young age. After seeing her mom’s life story on Variety’s page, her daughter Emily shared the cover picture which portrayed a picture of O’Neal with the title, “The Courage of Tatum O’Neal” on her IG stories.

She captioned that post with, “Mom 🥹.” During her interview with Variety, Tatum O’Neal was also asked about her father Ryan O’Neal’s demise in 2023 and if it had impacted her. In reply to that question, she said she felt like she was finally free from all those abuses that she had to face from her father throughout her life. She even shared an IG post that highlighted her emotion through the captions which read, “Do you feel like you’re almost there I ask. Almost enough? O’Neal smiles. ‘Yes!‘ She says. ‘Even better than almost enough.” Emily McEnroe later even shared this post on her IG stories with the caption, “You deserve the world..Thank you Variety.”

She hailed her mother for narrating her story and even commented, “Proud” on her post. Emily McEnroe is also often seen showcasing her passion for music alongside her father. John McEnroe and her daughter share a very close bond. In his autobiography, ‘But Seriously‘ he even mentioned, “Thanks to my daughters in large part, I now realize how important it is for young girls to have the same opportunities as boys to take part in physical activity. I am proud to be a feminist.” 

Apart from Emily, John McEnroe has two daughters, Anna and Eva with the renowned singer-songwriter, Patty Smyth. In 2020, during an interview, Tatum O’Neal revealed that she is delighted to see her ex-husband being “happier” with his new wife Smyth. She also revealed that her time with McEnroe was also probably the “happiest times of her life.“ O’Neal didn’t have an amicable split, but how is her relationship with her children?

John McEnroe and Tatum O’Neal’s son Kevin’s honest confession about his mother’s near-death experience 

Despite their split, Tatum O’Neal maintained a very healthy relationship with their children. At times, she was also seen hanging out with them. In 2004 during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, John McEnroe’s ex-wife spoke about how they only communicated through their children. She said, “We’re divorced 10 years and it’s still a long story because we’re still deep into a psychic drama, he and I. It’s a very difficult communication, through our kids, you know, and God bless how well they’ve turned out.“

In May 2020, there was a time, when doctors found that an overdose of a medication had eventually led her to a brain disorder called Aphasia. During her interview with Variety, Tatum O’Neal revealed how she felt emotionally hopeless at that time, despite having a strong bond with her children. She said, “I love them so much, but I’d already given so much. Part of me just didn’t want to make it, you know?“

In 2023, during an interview, John McEnroe and Tatum O’Neal’s son Kevin spoke about their biggest fear. He said, “There were times we didn’t think she was going to survive. At times, it was touch and go. I had to call my brother and sister and say she was thought to be blind, deaf, and potentially might never speak again.” However, having said that he didn’t forget to mention, “There’s something in her that you can’t explain — that perseveres through even horrible situations she put herself in.” 

After experiencing those moments in her life, Tatum O’Neal has admitted that she’d never hurt herself with substance abuse ever in her life. Interestingly, both McEnroe and O’Neal are now all set to meet each other yet again at Kevin’s wedding in June 2025. Everyone is keen to see their reactions during their reunion, but what are your thoughts on O’Neal’s incredible life story?