Ryan O’Neal‘s official cause of death has been revealed. The actor, who died at the age of 82 on December 8, passed from congestive heart failure after suffering from cardiomyopathy for years, according to his death certificate, which was obtained by the Blast. The certificate listed no additional contributing factors to his death.
“Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body,” according to the Mayo Clinic. The website also notes that the disease “can lead to heart failure.” Ryan was hospitalized at St. John’s Medical in Los Angeles, CA at the time of his passing.
Ryan’s death certificate also lists his final resting place as Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park.
Ryan’s cause of death comes after he passed away in the hospital in the presence of his loved ones. His son, Patrick, announced his death with a heartfelt message.
“So this is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to say, but here we go. My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us,” he wrote in an Instagram post that can be seen above. “This is very difficult for my wife Summer and me, but I will share some feelings to give you an idea of how great a man he is.”
“I looked up to him, and he was always bigger than life,” Patrick continued while also calling his dad his “hero” in the message. “When I was born in 1967, my dad was already a TV star on Peyton Place. That’s where he met my mom, Leigh Taylor-Young, and about 9 months later (give or take a date night or two), I was born.”
“My dad became an international movie star with Love Story at the beginning of the 1970s, a decade he absolutely crushed by starring in movies like What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, Barry Lyndon, A Bridge Too Far, The Main Event, and The Driver,” the loving son added in his caption. “He is a Hollywood legend. Full stop.”
