Ryan O'Neal: Tatum Drama All Oprah's Fault

Winfrey didn't work her magic, he complains
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 13, 2011 9:48 AM CDT
Ryan O'Neal: Tatum Drama All Oprah's Fault
Tatum O'Neal, at left, and Ryan O'Neal arrive at the eighth annual TV Land Awards on Saturday April 17, 2010, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Katy Winn)

Bad news: Turns out Oprah Winfrey is not always the magic antidote for what ails you, a lesson Ryan O’Neal learned the hard way: It seems that simply appearing in a reality show on her Oprah Winfrey Network did not manage to fix the long-troubled relationship between O'Neal and daughter Tatum. While the pair appeared to reconcile on the show, which premiered in June, they didn’t actually reconcile in real life—in fact, things are even worse now, O’Neal tells TV Guide, snarkily adding, “So thanks, Oprah, for all your help.” (O’Neal’s rep is backpedaling on the quote, calling it “very old.”)

Ryan & Tatum: The O’Neals documented the pair’s attempts to mend their relationship, and featured them going to therapy, celebrating, and even traveling together. But back in June, O’Neal had already expressed his disappointment with the series—and Oprah, ABC News notes. He told xfinityTV, “I thought that was the thing—that Oprah would be there and use her magic on us. I thought she’d bless us and that would help. We spent New Year’s Eve with her, and she was very encouraging. Then we never saw her again. And haven’t heard from her. … So Tatum and I were left to deal with each other on our own.” (More Ryan O'Neal stories.)

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