Tatum O’Neal stepped out in a rare sighting in Los Angeles over the weekend with a walking stick. Picture: @NIKOTYLER / BACKGRID
Oscar-winning actress Tatum O’Neal has made a rare public appearance as she continues recovering from a serious stroke.
The 62-year-old actress was seen walking with a cane while spending time with her daughter, Emily McEnroe, and son-in-law, Tim Massarelli, over the weekend.
O’Neal wore a long black dress, a dark blue jacket, black shoes and glasses. She appeared to be in good spirits as she talked with her family.
The outing was one of her first public appearances in years.
Days earlier, O’Neal shared a selfie on Instagram. She smiled in the photo and wrote “Hope” alongside a red heart.
O’Neal has faced a long and difficult recovery since suffering a near-fatal medical emergency in 2020.
In 2023, she revealed that an overdose involving pain medication, opiates and morphine had left her in a coma for six weeks. She also suffered a stroke, cardiac arrest and several seizures.
The actress said she had struggled with addiction on and off for 30 to 40 years. She explained that she had been taking prescribed medication for rheumatoid arthritis and pain in her back and neck.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a friend found her at her home in Century City, Los Angeles, and took her to hospital.
After the incident, doctors diagnosed her with aphasia, a condition that can affect a person’s ability to speak, read and write.
O’Neal later spent time in rehabilitation facilities, working to rebuild her strength and recover her memory and language skills.
Her children were deeply worried that she might not survive.
Her son, Kevin McEnroe, previously said there were times when the family feared they would lose their mother. He also said she had become isolated during the pandemic and seemed to have little hope at the time.
However, he described her efforts to recover, become sober and continue learning as a remarkable achievement.
He said he was extremely proud of her and praised the love and determination she had shown during this difficult period.
O’Neal shares three children — Kevin, Sean and Emily — with her former husband, tennis star John McEnroe.
O’Neal became famous as a child when she appeared alongside her father, actor Ryan O’Neal, in the 1973 film *Paper Moon*.
She won an Academy Award for her performance at just 10 years old, becoming the youngest competitive Oscar winner in history.
Her recent appearance and hopeful social media message offer a glimpse of her life as she continues her recovery, supported by her family.
