Ryan O'Neal's cause of death after star 'suffered for years' from disease

23 December 2023 , 11:30

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Ryan O'Neal's cause of death has been revealed (Image: Getty Images)

Ryan O'Neal's cause of death has been officially revealed, which comes after the actor died earlier this month on December 8.

The beloved Love Story actor died at the age of 82. His death was announced by his son Patrick O'Neal, 56, who shared the sad news in a post on Instagram.

Patrick shared an emotional tribute. At the time of the announcement, he wrote: "So this is the toughest thing I've ever had to say but here we go. My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us."

READ MORE: Love Story actor and Farrah Fawcett's longtime partner Ryan O'Neal dies aged 82

Ryan was best known and loved for starring in hit 1970 film Love Story (Getty Images)

The actor's cause of death has been revealed (Getty Images)

At first, Ryan's cause of death was unknown, but now it has emerged that he died of "congestive heart failure". Ryan's death certificate was obtained by the Blast on Friday, with it revealing that the congestive heart failure was a result of suffering from cardiomyopathy for years.

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When Ryan died, he was hospitalised at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. The death certificate lists no other contributing factors to Ryan's death.

According to the NHS, congestive heart failure is a term that is rarely used today, with it instead referred to as just heart failure. The condition means that the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly. "It usually happens because the heart has become too weak or stiff", according the the site.

Meanwhile, cardiomyopathy "is a general term for diseases of the heart muscle, where the walls of the heart chambers have become stretched, thickened or stiff".

Following Ryan's death being announced by his son Patrick on social media, his daughter - whom he had worked with on several occasions - Tatum O'Neal, 60, also spoke out. Addressing his death, Tatum told People in a statement: "I feel great sorrow with my father's passing. He meant the world to me."

Tatum added that she "loved him very much" and that she knew her father felt the same about her. She continued in the statement this week: "I'll miss him forever and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms."

Mollie Quirk