Farrah Fawcett’s son, Redmond O’Neal, received support from extended family and friends during a court hearing stemming from his 2018 arrest for attempted murder.
Before a judge ruled in a Thursday, June 25, preliminary hearing as to whether there is enough evidence for O’Neal, 41, to face charges, Us Weekly can exclusively confirm his godmother, Mela Murphy, and three other family supporters were in court.
Redmond was present and walked in court without shackles and his jailhouse jumpsuit. Instead, he wore a white dress shirt and slacks.
During Thursday’s hearing, a detective took the stand and recalled the samples of red stains he recovered from sidewalks and other locations where O’Neal’s crimes allegedly took place.
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Samantha Kline, who worked at a coffee shop in Venice, California, at the time of O’Neal’s alleged crimes, testified on the stand that O’Neal came into the establishment in May 2018 and allegedly pulled out a knife and approached her.
“I thought to myself I don’t want to die in this moment,” she testified. “I just remember being very very scared and backing up as far as I could.”
While the judge heard accounts from 2018, supporters of Redmond claimed he has made great progress in recent years behind bars.
A friend of Redmond’s family, who was present in court for the preliminary hearing, exclusively told Us, “There’s a mental health crisis in the U.S. the system is broken. He was diagnosed and he’s on medication and it’s working. It’s the perfect example of how the system can work.”
Murphy, who was also present in court, told Us that she felt Fawcett’s presence.
“She’s with us today. She sent angels,” Murphy said. “She’s always been with me. … It’s hard, it’s very very hard. It’s really hard. It’s harder on him and days like today are harder on me because I want to be in control.”
According to Murphy, Redmond has been “doing his best” amid his recovery and claimed that “his mind snapped” at the time of the 2018 incident.
“He’s still going through challenges mentally,” she added.
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Redmond, Fawcett’s son with Ryan O’Neal, was arrested in May 2018 for attempted murder and assault in Los Angeles after an attempted robbery. Local police officers charged Redmond after a string of attacks severely injured five individuals. One victim sustained “significant and serious stab wounds and cuts to his face, neck and upper body,” per a press release.
Earlier that month, Redmond was arrested after the robbery attempt. He pleaded not guilty to the charges of second-degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a smoking device, possession of an injection/ingestion device and two counts of possessing a controlled substance at the LAX Airport courthouse.
“The suspect entered the store with a knife and approached the clerk and demanded money from the register,” the LAPD told Us Weekly at the time. “The suspect fled the store on foot. … Officers found the knife and cash in [Redmond’s] possession.”
In the years since his arrest, Redmond has been in recovery for substance abuse struggles.
“Redmond has been drug-free and a model patient for five years now at Patton State Hospital,” Murphy told People in March. “He has had to overcome so much in his life. We are proud of him, and Farrah would be too. He finally got a proper mental health diagnosis and medication.”
Murphy continued, “I believe his serious drug problems in the past were a result of not having mental health support in his earlier life. Today, he is participating in 12-step recovery, helps out patients, reads every day and has found a spiritual life. There are many friends and supporters of Redmond who are in contact with him and are so proud of his journey to recovery.”
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Fawcett welcomed Redmond in 1985 with then-boyfriend Ryan. Fawcett died in 2009 at age 62 after battling anal cancer, while Ryan died in December 2023 at age 82. (Ryan also shared kids Tatum and Griffin with Joanna Moore and son Patrick with Leigh Taylor-Young.)
Redmond was initially ruled incompetent to stand trial before a reversal was issued in 2025. During a previous hearing in March, Redmond’s attorney entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf and claimed that he “found God” during his hospitalization.
“The medication is working beautifully and he’s going to his life skills classes every day,” the lawyer alleged of Redmond. “When I ask him, ‘Are you opening up and helping others there at Patton?’ he always says, ‘Absolutely.’ He still has hope that he will get out.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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