Farrah Fawcett had long waited to have a child.
She became a single mother to a troubled teenage son.
Fawcett’s child went to visit her grave on the anniversary of her death.
Hollywood starlet Farah Fawcett had only one child whom she adored very much. The father of her child asked for her hand in marriage several times, but she refused though she spent nearly two decades with him.
Actress Farah Fawcett experienced an imaginary pregnancy years before her son’s birth and admitted she tried to map up what her life would be like in the future.
“So, I did try to plan my life,” said Fawcett in an interview, four years before she gave birth to her one and only child, a son named Redmond, whom she welcomed with actor Ryan O’Neal. Upon delivery, the proud dad, who captured the special moments of the labor, cut the umbilical cord.
Fawcett became a first-time mom at age 37, and it became apparent to the press that she did not opt for other options to have a baby at her age.
Fawcett gave birth to her son in January 1985. It was still surprising that she did not terminate the pregnancy as she focused more on her career.
Fawcett Did Not Want to Marry the Father of Her Child
Fawcett relished motherhood and had previously expressed her desire to have a child when asked whether she would want to have one once she remarried. When she met O’Neal, she was still married to her one and only husband, actor Lee Majors whom she wed in 1973, but the couple did not have kids together.
However, the pair were separated at the time and were in the process of a divorce. Still, marriage was sort of a thorny subject even after the divorce in 1982.
Fawcett did not want to marry the father of her child and dodged the question of remarrying during an interview with Interview Magazine in December 1981. Per ABC News, the Texas native and O’Neal started dating in 1980 and lived together with their son Redmond.
In June 2009, the “Paper Moon” star revealed to Barbara Walters during an appearance on “20/20” that he persistently asked Fawcett to marry him over the years and that he remained confident that they would eventually walk down the aisle:
“I used to ask her to marry me all the time. But it just got to be a joke, you know. We just joked about it.”
Unfortunately, that never came to be, as the couple dated for 17 years before they decided to split in 1997. Fawcett once revealed that the “Love Story” star was “too bossy” for her; hence she refused to accept her proposals.
The mother of one also revealed to Interview Magazine in December 1981 that O’Neal “barely lets me go to the gynecologist.”
Despite their breakup, Fawcett continued to focus on her son Redmond. She became a single mom to her then 15-year-old child, whom she struggled to raise as he became troubled as a teenager.
In addition, Fawcett’s sister Diane was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent chemotherapy. Sadly, Diane lost her battle with cancer in October 2001 in Houston, Texas, at age 62. She was buried at Klein Memorial Park. Tragically, Fawcett’s mother later passed away as well.
Fawcett was then left with only her father and her son. Years later, she was also got diagnosed with anal cancer, and her health began to deteriorate. Redmond and his father bonded during that period when his mother got ill.
However, in 2009 Redmond got into trouble because of the use of drugs and was arrested. But his mother was not aware that he had been incarcerated.
When Fawcett was battling the disease, her son, who was jailed for violating probation on drug charges at the time – was allowed by California officials to go and spend time with her at home for a minimum of three hours.
Seeing that the “Charlie’s Angels” alum did not know that her son was in jail, O’Neal told their son, “Don’t rattle your chains!” Redmond climbed on the bed to snuggle with his still-sleeping mother and cried.
Fawcett tragically passed away at age 62 on June 25, 2009, following her three-year battle with cancer. Per Good Housekeeping, her friends revealed to People the last words she uttered before taking her last breath.
According to the “Playboy” model’s friend, Mela Murphy, she was gravely concerned about her son’s future. Redmond was 24 years old when his mother died, and Murphy divulged that she assured Fawcett that she would look after her child:
“She was saying his name, ‘Redmond.’” That was the last thing she said. I told her I’d take care of him, that I’ll always be there for him. I said, ‘You can go now.’ It was just a few hours before she died.”
Fawcett did leave an amount of $4.5 million behind for her son. The monies were to be used for Redmond’s health care and rehabilitation.
In June 2010, a year after Fawcett passed, CNN reported that Redmond visited her grave for the first time since the anniversary of her death and was accompanied by his dad and his stepsister, Tatum.
He commented on the setup of her final resting place and expressed relief that he was able to visit her and left her know that he was doing well:
“It was very nice, very beautifully set up. I’m just happy that I’m able to be there for her and let her know I’m doing all right.”
At the time, Redmond was reportedly on a day pass away from the Pasadena, California rehabilitation center, where he was undergoing court-ordered drug rehab.
Meanwhile, his father candidly spoke about his recovery process during a private gathering of family and friends at the Beverly Hills, California, headquarters of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation.
O’Neal said that it was apparent that Redmond had made an effort to work on himself, which made them happy, adding it was that same reason that he was allowed to show face.
“To show my face and let everybody know I’m doing good, you know. You can’t hide forever,” said Redmond. His step-sibling Tatum complimented him on his looks and said his mother would have been “proud” of him.
