Ryan O'Neal Caught red handed

[sadie1263]

Ryan O’Neal and the reality of the missing painting of Farrah Fawcett by Andy Warhol

The painting of Farrah Fawcett seen hanging over Ryan O'Neal's bed in a reality television show was, for most viewers, a sign of his enduring love for the late actress.

But to beneficiaries of her will it was evidence that O'Neal was in possession of a $30million (£18.8million) Andy Warhol portrait that has not been seen since her death two years ago.

Warhol made two portraits of the actress in 1980, both of which were shown in the documentary Farrah's Story, which charted the Charlie's Angels star's courageous battle with cancer.

Following her death on June 25 2009, at the age of 62, she left her entire collection of paintings to the University of Texas, where she studied art. However, it only received one of the Warhols. The university subsequently hired a private investigator to track down missing items from her the collection.

It claims that the first episode of a new reality television show, Ryan & Tatum: The O'Neals, broadcast on The Oprah Winfrey Network last weekend, provided the breakthrough to its whereabouts. The reality show documents the reconciliation between O'Neal and his daughter Tatum following an eight-year rift.

A painting looking remarkably similar to the missing Warhol appeared in the background at Ryan O'Neal's home in Malibu, California.

Craig Nevius, a close friend and business partner of Fawcett, told ABC News that Tatum O'Neal's new autobiography had already given a clue to the painting's fate.

In the book, ironically titled Found, she mentions that the portrait was in her father's home in Malibu, writing: "On every wall, there are pictures of us and the rest of the family in our golden days. The original poster from Paper Moon, Andy Warhol's portrait of Farrah."
Mr Nevius said: "That was a 'Thank God, we've caught you' moment. I told the university."

O'Neal, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Love Story, has said that "all of Farrah's wishes expressed in her will have been fulfilled."

The actress left a fortune valued at $6 million (£3.8 million) but bequethed nothing to O'Neal, her on-off lover for 30 years. The couple's son Redmond Fawcett O'Neal, who was jailed for drug offences in 2009 received, $4.5 million (£2.8 million).

O'Neal, 70, who was at Fawcett's hospital bedside in Los Angeles when she died, has described previously how he feels closer to her when he is surrounded by her possessions.

"She permeated my mind and my being. She still does. She had that kind of hold on me. I live in the same house that we lived in together. The things that are nice in my house are the things that she got me," he said.

O'Neal claimed that he proposed to Miss Fawcett in hospital, although the couple were unable to marry before she died. After her death one of the Warhol portraits was delivered the university at its Austin campus, but the other they were expecting never arrived.

Mr Nevus said that, after reading Tatum O'Neal's book, he told the university: "Be patient. He's going to show it." He added: "What appeared to be the portrait, which shows Fawcett with bright red lips and green eyes, was spotted hanging directly above O'Neal's bed as cameras toured his house."

A representative for O'Neal said the actor has not betrayed Fawcett's final wishes.

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/8595284/Ryan-ONeal-and-the-reality-of-the-missing-painting-of-Farrah-Fawcett-by-Andy-Warhol.html

[sadie1263]

How convenient of him to propose on her hospital bed. How long had she been sick?

So....do you believe he's hanging on to a $30 million dollar painting because of his love for Farrah?

[toby]

Toby comments.:- Farrah should have stayed with Lee Majors !