Ryan O'Neal 'Knew He Was Dying' But Was Excited to Reunite With Late Star Farrah Fawcett in Heaven: 'He Never Stopped Loving Her'

Ryan O'Neal, 82, died on December 8 after a 20-year battle with leukemia — but according to a source, he wasn't afraid of what was waiting for him in the afterlife.

"Ryan knew he was dying, but his one ray of hope was that he would be reunited with Farrah," an insider spilled to a news outlet of the Oliver's Story actor's late ex-partner Farrah Fawcett.

"He never stopped loving or missing her," the source added. "She was on his mind a lot at the end. His last words were of her. He said, 'I’ll finally get to see you, Farrah.'"

As OK! previously reported, Fawcett and O'Neal were together for 20 years, but split in the 1990s after the Charlie's Angels star caught him having an affair with another woman.

Despite their prior estrangement, the pair eventually reconciled and the actor was at her bedside when she died of cancer in 2009.

"Farrah was undoubtedly Ryan’s greatest love," the source revealed. "During the time he lay in bed at the end, he spoke about how much he regretted the time they wasted apart and that they only got back together during the last part of her life."

In a 2015 interview, a friend admitted O'Neal carried "an enormous amount of grief over the way he treated Farrah," throughout their relationship.

"Ryan can't get over her. He's obsessed," he continued. "He talks to her portrait. He asks her permission before he does anything. It's like she's running his life from beyond the grave."

Earlier this month, O'Neal's son, Patrick, 56, took to Instagram to confirm his father had passed away.

"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. This is just so hard for us," he wrote at the time. "Ryan made such an impact and this will be difficult without him. This is and will be a huge void in our lives."

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"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."