Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal were a love story for the ages. In fact, the iconic TV actor ended up passing away in O'Neal's arms following a battle with cancer. Though they're both gone, a friend is keeping their story alive.
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Fawcett's friend Alana Stewart is speaking out about Fawcett and O'Neal's relationship, remembering the two in a recent interview. O'Neal passed away last year at age 82. Fawcett died in 2009 after a battle with cancer. Stewart said that O'Neal never got over Fawcett's death.
"I don't think he ever really got over her dying," Stewart told Fox News. "And now it's sad because he's gone, but I always think about them being together. She basically died in his arms. I don't think he was ever the same, because she was definitely the love of his life, and he was the love of her life."
Fawcett and O'Neal first started dating in 1979. That was the beginning of an on-again and off-again 17-year relationship that led to the birth of their son Redmond O'Neal. The two broke up in 1997, but later got back together in 2001.
"She and Ryan, when they were home with their son, and he was very little, she cooked the meals," said Stewart. "And when she had to go away on location for something because she was working a lot then, they would pack the whole family up and go."
"Her home life was a more normal life in that regard," said Stewart. "It was just when she went out in public, people went crazy."
O'Neal was right by her side during her fight with cancer the whole time. "Even 'til the end, she was still fighting, and Ryan was there the whole time; from the time she was diagnosed with cancer, he was there," Stewart told the outlet.
Farrah Fawcett And Her Cancer Battle
According to Stewart, Fawcett began showing symptoms while taking care of her own dying mother. However, she ignored them to focus on her mother instead.
"That's part of our mission statement - awareness and prevention," said Stewart. "It's so important to catch things early. Maybe when she started having symptoms, if she had listened to her body and had gone to a doctor, then maybe the outcome might have been different. It's so easy to put aside any symptoms because you think, 'Oh, it's not serious,' or, 'I'll just deal with it next week, next month.'"
"With cancer, early detection is everything," Stewart stressed. "So many cancers can be cured now if you catch them early enough. With Farrah, hers was already Stage 4. If she had done something about the symptoms early on, she could very well be alive today."
Stewart said that O'Neal was with Fawcett for every moment.
"He was there by her side every moment," said Stewart. "We didn't want to admit that things weren't looking good. I don't think Farrah did either. She was determined to keep on fighting. And we were going to be there for her. But I think there came a time when we all just looked at each other and just knew. She wasn't going to get better."
