Farrah Fawcett's Death Battle | 05/15/2009 10:15 am
Farrah Fawcett Confronts Death as Ryan O'Neal Hides a Lawsuit

Farrah Fawcett’s former friend and business partner has filed a civil lawsuit against the dying 62-year-old actress — claiming that Fawcett’s loved ones unjustly stole his documentary. Craig Nevius accuses Fawcett’s life companion Ryan O’Neal and friend Alana Stewart of interfering with his role as producer, according to published reports.
Fawcett reportedly insisted that Nevius lose creative control of the project because she disliked his vision for the piece. According to the New York Post, Nevius, who originally titled the film "A Wing and a Prayer," pushed for a story line that blamed the paparazzi for her failing health. After much disagreement, on April 20 Fawcett signed control over to O’Neal.
The lawsuit disgusted O’Neal so much that he chose not to inform his bedridden partner of the goings-on. Paul Bloch, a representative for Stewart and O’Neal, told Entertainment Weekly, "We hope and we pray that Farrah doesn’t hear or see of this lawsuit. We didn’t expect this at all, we didn’t get any warning — it’s very sad."
Fawcett’s documentary, "Farrah’s Story," follows the icon’s two-and-a-half-year struggle with rectal cancer, which includes her travel to Germany for experimental stem-cell treatment as well as brief confrontations with the paparazzi. "Farrah’s Story" airs Friday at nine o’clock PM on NBC. Click here for photographs of scenes from the documentary.























29 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
This is all over the news, so unfortunately, Farrah will hear about it.
I hope that this is resolved as soon as possible.
I saw the documentary on Friday and wondered throughout the entire first half why she was not losing her hair. I had a dear friend, Jean, who died too young from a similar incurable cancer, diagnosed carelessly by doctors who missed the warning signs, too late, whose beautiful hair fell out very early on in her treatment. When you are in a fight for your life vanity is the first thing to go out the window. I did not understand if it was because of the alternative treatment Farrah had in Germany (so painful to watch), or if she did not have more aggressive chemo until it was too late, because a big fuss was made toward the end of the documentary (this was puzzling) about her losing her hair. Tragically, also toward the end of the film, Farrah apparently did not have the strength to recognize her own son, and even O’Neal talked about her in the past tense. The film was beyond incredible on Farrah’s part to show what cancer looks like, the pain, the ugliness, trying to be brave for everyone else. This was an important work for pulling the blinders away from a ravaging disease.
I kept thinking, if a famous woman who could afford to pick the best treatment available around the globe couldn’t win her battle, what does that say about the rest of us, stuck with our ordinary insurance, using up precious savings? Unacceptable. My friend Jean died doped up on drugs, surrounded by loved ones, unrecognizable, in excrutiating pain. She was only 45. Unacceptable. She was told for a year that she only had a backache (she knew it was more than that) because the insurance company did not want to pay for more intensive tests. Unacceptable. Jean could have used her time suing the company or fighting her cancer; she chose the latter. What they put her through was criminal. This documentary brought it all flooding back.
Have my head in the sand, could not watch it. Two out of four of my friends died from breast cancer, the other two heart attacks.
There comes a point when I can’t think about it anymore and I duck and hide.
My sentiments exactly, Jeannot, my dear.
This hit much to close to home for me, too, dahling.