This Boy Inherited $4.5M from His Famous Mom Who Died of Cancer – He's Faced Six Criminal Charges Since

Before her death from cancer, a Hollywood actress created a $4.5 million trust to protect her only son. Sadly, he still ended up going down a troubling path, as years later, he was arrested for robbery and drug possession.

She was one of the most recognizable faces on television, known for her dazzling smile and feathered blonde hair that made her a poster girl for a generation, as well as her breakout role in "Charlie's Angels."

But away from the spotlight, she was also a mother deeply concerned about her only child, whose struggles with addiction never let up. As her health declined, she focused on securing his future — a decision meant to protect him from himself, but one that ultimately didn't succeed.

A Mother's Final Act

This late Hollywood star rose to fame as a television icon, a cultural phenomenon, and one-half of the most glamorous couple in Hollywood during the 1980s. Then came the news that she had cancer, and while undergoing experimental treatment, she released a documentary that startled the entertainment industry with its impact.

In 2006, this actress was diagnosed with anal cancer. Despite the grim prognosis, she fought with everything she had for one person in particular — her son, Redmond O'Neal, whom she had welcomed with her longtime partner, actor Ryan O'Neal.

Her former assistant, Mike Pingel, recalled, "She fought as hard as she could. All of it was to be here for Redmond, her child. Redmond was her moon, her stars, her sky, her heart. Her father was also, but Redmond was her life. She fought tooth and nail to continue to live, to be with him." He continued:

"She did everything she could for Redmond. She would light up whenever Redmond would come over. It didn't matter what was going on. If Redmond came over, it all just fell to the wayside. She just adored her son."

According to the Hollywood star's former assistant, in an attempt to fight to stay alive for her son, she went through experimental treatments in Germany and shared her experience with the world in a raw and emotional documentary that aired in 2009, bringing light to a disease that was often stigmatized and seldom discussed.

Sadly, her fight was to no avail. In her final hours at St. John's Health Center in Los Angeles, the actress's dear friend Mela Murphy sat beside her. As the end drew near, the icon softly whispered one name again and again — "Redmond."

Mela recounted, "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."

Despite being in jail at the time on heroin charges, Redmond was allowed to visit his dying mother. Wearing a prison jumpsuit, handcuffed and shackled at the ankles, he was brought into the hospital room by a guard.

In the wake of her passing, attention turned to how she had prepared for her son's future.

Ryan had lied to the famous actress when their son came to visit her at the hospital, telling her that Redmond was in rehab rather than admitting the truth — that he was in jail. He also warned Redmond not to let his mother know that he was shackled with leg cuffs.

As he bent close to her bed, Redmond gently said, "Mommy? It's Redmond. It's your son." The hospital room was somber and sterile, filled with the quiet sounds of machinery and soft voices. She was barely responsive, but it was a moment that those present would never forget.

This beloved actress later passed away on June 25, 2009, at 62. Her funeral was held at Los Angeles's Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Redmond, still in custody, served as a pallbearer, his wrists in handcuffs.

In the wake of her passing, attention turned to how she had prepared for her son's future. Her estate was substantial, but her priorities were clear.

She placed $4.5 million into a trust for her son but structured it with rigid protections. Rather than giving him unrestricted access to the funds, she appointed her business manager and producer, Richard Francis, as trustee.

The principal could only be used for matters related to Redmond's health care. He could collect interest from the trust, but nothing more. The legal setup was designed to ensure that any money would go toward his rehabilitation or treatment — not directly into his hands.

Redmond, then 23, was found with methamphetamine.

A probate attorney not involved in the case explained at the time that this setup gave Richard the discretion to spend as much as he deemed necessary on health-related expenses, such as rehab or counseling, while protecting the principal from misuse. It was a financial safeguard seemingly rooted in deep maternal concern.

At the time of the actress's funeral, the public knew little about Redmond. But those close to the family understood that his struggles were longstanding and deeply rooted. One of the most publicized incidents occurred in 2008 when authorities conducted a probation search at his father's Malibu home.

Redmond, then 23, was found with methamphetamine. The substance was also discovered in the bedroom of his father. They were both arrested and held on $10,000 bail before being released. Ryan later claimed:

"It wasn't mine — I had taken it away from him the night before. But when the cops came at 4:30 in the morning, with [Redmond's mother] there, I wasn't going to say, 'It's his!'"

This incident was one of many due to the complicated dynamic the O'Neal family had. Ryan had four children by three different women and his relationship with each had its ups and downs.

In a moment of grim candor, he said, "[...] We had this celebratory birthday where I shot my son. I could have hit him, but I missed. [The late actress] was lying in bed, and she could hear it all — fights, swinging, gunshots. Welcome to the O'Neals!"

In May 2018, Redmond was arrested again — this time for allegedly robbing a convenience store in Los Angeles.

The son he fired at was Griffin, but Redmond was often the target of Ryan's brutally honest reflections. In addition to overhearing violent confrontations, the "Charlie's Angels" star and her longtime partner regularly had disagreements centered on parenting.

"We started fighting about Redmond by the time he was three," Ryan admitted. At one point, he blamed her for placing their son in a behavior modification program that he said left their son physically and emotionally scarred.

"She put Redmond in a place we couldn't get him out of for 18 months, a behavior-modification program where they beat the [expletive] out of him because he had been caught for marijuana. He lay on the floor for 36 hours, refusing to say he was sorry. This was our son!" he said.

Ryan was unfiltered in discussing Redmond's troubles, revealing, "He's had a terrible life. He has addictions he can't control; he goes to sleep in his food. This is not a privileged guy. He never had any money; he never had a car; he never had a driver's license." He continued:

"He's never been out on the street for a year, because whatever he did, he got caught. He got arrested in prison with heroin in his pocket! So many arrests, the poor, stupid boy!"

"He's not a thug; he doesn't know how to be. He's just a sap, and he knows it. He's been in rehabs all over the United States and Mexico. We're just thankful he doesn't have H.I.V." Ryan added.

A source also revealed, "Redmond suffers from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and antisocial personality disorder, and in his mind, his father is the devil."

By 2009, Redmond was the only one of Ryan's children with whom the actor was in contact. However, this didn't seem to keep him out of trouble.

In May 2018, Redmond was arrested again — this time for allegedly robbing a convenience store in Los Angeles. According to police, he entered the store near Santa Monica armed with a knife and demanded that the clerk take out cash from the register.

After receiving an undisclosed amount of money, he fled the scene but was apprehended nearby. A knife matching the clerk's description was recovered from him. The incident was sudden and terrifying, according to eyewitness reports, and painted a grim picture of how far he had fallen.

Following the arrest, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged him with six counts — second-degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a smoking device, possession of an injection/ingestion device, and two counts of possessing a controlled substance — heroin and methamphetamine.

The felony complaint included a special allegation that "the defendant personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife, during the commission of the robbery." His bail was initially set at $50,000, but prosecutors later sought $125,000. Redmond was scheduled to be arraigned later that day.

In the end, his charges marked another chapter in a long, public descent — one that had unfolded despite years of attempted interventions, treatment programs, and legal safeguards, set up by his loving mother, none other than Farrah Fawcett.