Actress, 62, makes rare public appearance six years after near-fatal overdose, stroke

EntertainmentActress Tatum O'Neal arrives for the showing of the fall 2009 collection of Cynthia Rowley during Fashion Week, Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)ASSOCIATED PRESSBy Kelly Corbett | kcorbett@syracuse.comTatum O’Neal stepped out in Los Angeles on Oct. 24, marking a rare public outing for the actress following years of recovery from a near-fatal overdose and stroke. The 62-year-old Oscar winner walked with a cane alongside her daughter, Emily McEnroe, 35, and son-in-law, Tim Massarelli, in pictures obtained by the Daily Mail.O’Neal’s health crisis began in May 2020 after taking a combination of pain medication, opiates and morphine. Her son, Kevin, said in an 2023 interview with People that the COVID-19 pandemic had a harrowing impact on his mother, leading to isolation. The “Paper Moon” star spent years in therapy relearning basic functions including speaking, reading and walking.The actress has been open about her lifelong struggle with drug addiction. “I’ve been trying to get sober my whole life,” O’Neal told the outlet. “Every day, I am trying.” By February 2025, she told Variety she had made substantial progress, stating, “Now I don’t want to hurt myself. Now I don’t want to f--king take drugs again—I really don’t.”Kelly Corbett is a Trending News Reporter for syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. She covers a wide range of topics from celebrity and TV news to store closings and product recalls. In addition to syracuse.com,...