Redmond O’Neal, Son of Farrah Fawcett, Appeared in Court on the Anniversary of His Mother’s Death, 7 Years After a Judge Ruled He Was Too Mentally Ill to Stand Trial for Attempted Murder
Redmond O’Neal is the only biological child of Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal, 2 of the biggest stars of their era. He has spent most of his adult life dealing with severe addiction and mental illness, and he lives under a conservatorship overseen by his godmother, Mela Murphy, a longtime friend of his mother.
O’Neal was arrested in May 2018. Prosecutors say he carried out a series of seemingly random attacks on strangers across the Palms, Venice, and Santa Monica areas over several days. The allegations include punches, 2 stabbings, and a knife threat inside a coffee shop. He was charged with attempted murder, along with assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, criminal threats, and other counts. He pleaded not guilty.
The case never went to trial. In 2019, he was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and committed to Patton State Hospital for treatment under California law. He remained there for years, reported to be drug-free and compliant with his medication. His competency was restored in 2025, and he entered a not-guilty plea at a court appearance in March 2026, his first in roughly a decade.
At the preliminary hearing on June 25, extended family and friends came to support him, including Murphy. A detective testified about blood evidence from the scene. A witness, Samantha Kline, recounted the 2018 coffee-shop incident and said she feared for her life.
Both of his parents are gone now. Farrah Fawcett died in 2009, Ryan O’Neal in 2023. Fawcett stood by Redmond through years of addiction, and the photos here, from 2001, show her picking him up at 15 from a 29-day rehab stay outside Los Angeles. He returned to court on the anniversary of her death. The case remains active, with no ruling yet on whether it will move to trial.
Like what you read? Follow Thought Catalog on Facebook, and check out more on our website.
