Ryan O'Neal 'Carried an Enormous Amount of Grief' Over How He Treated Late Girlfriend Farrah Fawcett Prior to His Death

Ryan O'Neal passed away on Friday, December 8, at 82 years old — but according to a source, the late actor spent some of his final years wracked with guilt over how he acted during relationship with Farrah Fawcett.

The pair, who were together for 20 years but never married, split in the late '90s after the Extremities actress caught him in bed with another woman. Fawcett passed away more than a decade later at the age of 62 years old following a lengthy cancer battle.

"Ryan carries an enormous amount of grief over the way he treated Farrah," a friend spilled to a news outlet in a resurfaced interview from 2015. "Ryan can't get over her. He's obsessed."

"He talks to her portrait. He asks her permission before he does anything," the friend added of O'Neal's alleged disturbing behavior. "It's like she's running his life from beyond the grave."

"But there are times he gets so enraged he flies off the handle, to the point you wonder if he's about to have a heart attack!" the pal continued. "He seems at a crisis point in his life."

As OK! previously reported, O'Neal's son, Patrick, 56, took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute after the actor's passing.

"Ryan was a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade. Those same people are heartbroken today and will be for a long time," he penned. "This is just so hard for us."

"Ryan made such an impact and this will be difficult without him. This is and will be a huge void in our lives," he noted. "And his dogs Mozart and Raven, who he loved dearly, are missing him very much. They were inseparable."

"I will share my father’s legacy forever. I will not be deterred from outside voices that say negative things," he added. "My dad was 82, and lived a kick a-- life. I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with Joe Frazier in 1966, on national TV, with Muhammad Ali doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin’ Joe."

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"Ryan never bragged. But he has bragging rights in Heaven. Especially when it comes to Farrah," the message read. "Everyone had the poster, he had the real McCoy. And now they meet again. Farrah and Ryan. He has missed her terribly. What an embrace that must be. Together again. I’ll miss you dad."