US footballer claims being Farrah Fawcett’s first and last love

Melbourne, Aug 31 (ANI): A former US footballer claims that he was the first and last love of late actress Farrah Fawcett.

Greg Lott, who says he first met Fawcett in the 60s, also claims that actor Ryan O’Neal’s heart-wrenching return to her side and his support during her dying days was nothing more than an act for the camera.

According to The Mail, Lott dismissed the image of Fawcett and O’Neal’s tragic rapprochement as nothing but Hollywood fantasy, and says that for the last 11 years of her life, she was involved in a very private romance with him.

“We were blind, crazy, in love,” the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“Farrah was my best friend and my inspiration.

“We fell in love with each other all those years ago and we never really stopped loving each other. Our lives took us in very different directions but, in the end, her heart always came home to me and Texas,” he said.

Lott also claimed that O’Neal froze him out of Fawcett’s life against her will, and that she referred to O’Neal as the “Fat F*** from the beach”.

O’Neal’s spokesman has dismissed Lott’s claims as “categorically false”, but the actor’s son Griffin has stated otherwise.

“I have to thank Greg Lott for one thing: For loving Farrah the way she deserved to be loved. Ryan was just there for the acclaim,” he said.

Lott revealed the last time he spoke to Fawcett was a couple of months before she passed away.

“I last spoke to Farrah late on the night of April 9 – two-and-a-half months before she died. She was preparing to come home from a bout of treatment at St John’s Hospital in Santa Monica,” he said.

“She told me: ‘I’m coming home tomorrow. I love you and I will call you’,” he revealed.

When he did not hear from her, Lott flew to California in desperation, to her home in LA, but he claims O’Neal refused him entry.

“I never got to say goodbye to Farrah. Ryan shut me out of her life,” he said.

Lott, who dated Fawcett from when they were students at Texas University until 1970, got his second chance when her romance with O’Neal came unstuck in 1996 thanks to his volatile temper and infidelity.

“She called and we arranged to meet in Texas,” Lott said.

“She was doing a fundraiser for battered women and invited me to the event at a hotel. She walked into the room and the electricity was there between us,” he recalled.

Fawcett then invited him to visit her at her home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

“She flew me out to Los Angeles and we fell into each other’s arms,” he said.

“Farrah was always a very sensual woman. She never wore make-up at home and would shop at cheap stores like Walmart for her sweatpants. She had no airs and graces. That’s what I loved about her. She looked a million dollars without doing anything.

“I would look at her sleeping in the early morning and she looked like an angel. I thought I was the luckiest man in the world. She told me, ‘I’ve had the Hollywood men but you’re a real man. You get me.

“She loved to cook and would make me Texan dishes like fried chicken. We didn’t go out much. We’d stay home and watch movies and make love,” he added. (ANI)

O’Neal slams allegations he cheated on Fawcett with Stewart

Washington, July 16 (ANI): American actor Ryan O’Neal has slammed allegations that he was having an affair with late actress Farrah Fawcett’s best friend Alana Stewart, while his long-term girlfriend was battling cancer.

Both O’Neal, 68, and Stewart, 64, are said to have grown closer in the last three years after they joined forces to support Fawcett, who was battling anal cancer.

But O’Neal’s estranged son Griffin, who is one of the sources making the sordid claims, said that their friendship took a romantic turn during Fawcett’s final months, before her death on June 25.

“They were sharing a room together,” Contactmusic quoted him as having told In Touch Weekly magazine.

Griffin, 44, also claims that Fawcett’s ageing father, Jim, once walked in on the pair in the bedroom after flying in from Houston, Texas, to visit his ailing daughter.

“It made Jim uncomfortable, so he packed his bags and went home,” he added.

Javier Salazar, a friend of O’Neal and Fawcett’s son Redmond, also made a similar claim.

“Ryan and Alana’s relationship was fishy,” he said.

A former business partner of Fawcett’s also added: “Ryan and Alana are a little too cozy with each other. It is raising eyebrows. They both stayed at Farrah’s (home) in the end.”

Representatives for both O’Neal and Stewart have denied the claims, but have declined to comment further. (ANI)

Stewart planning to publish Fawcett’s cancer diaries

Washington, July 14 (ANI): Late actress Farrah Fawcett’s best friend actress Alana Stewart is planning to publish a memoir she compiled while filming the final stages of the late actress’ cancer battle.

Stewart, 64, had shot much of the footage for the Farrah’s Story documentary, which showed the late actress trying to seek out new treatments in a bid to prolong her life, reports Contactmusic.

After the documentary became a success, pulling in 8.9 million viewers in the U.S. when it was aired in May this year, Stewart decided to release ‘My Journey With Farrah’ in August.

Some of the profits raised from sales of the book will go to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation for cancer research. (ANI)

Ryan O’Neal was overcome with grief at partner Farrah Fawcett’s funeral

London, Jul 1 (ANI): American actor Ryan O’Neal was overcome with grief at the funeral of his beloved partner late actress Farrah Fawcett.

O’Neal, 68, was poised to marry Farrah, 62, at her hospital bedside, but was thwarted when she passed away on June 25.

“We take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

The former ‘Charlie’s Angel’ had been battling rectal cancer for three years, and the disease had spread throughout her body. (ANI)

‘Clear-headed’ Farrah Fawcett praised by doctor

London, May 20 (ANI): Cancer-stricken Farrah Fawcett’s doctor has showered the actress with praises, saying her “clear thinking” has lent her a helping hand in battling the disease.

The former Charlie’s Angels star was diagnosed with anal cancer back in 2006, and it has since spread to her liver.

The 62-year-old, in 2007, refused to undergo a colostomy, a surgical procedure that involves connecting a part of the colon onto the anterior abdominal wall, opting for an alternative therapy in Germany instead.

And now, her doctor, Lawrence Vogl, feels the star was right in turning down the surgery.

“I’m not truly convinced (it would have helped). Farrah always had – and has – a very special insight and very clear thinking. And I think if you see it now, I think she, in a way, was right,” the Daily Star quoted Vogl as saying in an interview with Larry King.

Vogl further said he admired the brave actress for her determination, adding: “If you treat the person for a longer time, you will always have a very special relationship.

“But from a lot of treatments and contact and communication, I think she is extremely special, an extremely brave person. She was very charming and very, very controlled.” (ANI)

Farrah Fawcett’s jailed son permitted to be with her

New York, May 18 (ANI): Cancer-stricken Farrah Fawcett’s jailed son Redmond O’Neal has been permitted to say his final goodbyes to his dying mother.

The 24-year-old visited his mother the same night her heart-wrenching documentary “Farrah’s Story” aired.

“He went to her condo to spend time with her,” the New York Daily News quoted a source as telling In Touch Weekly.

O’Neal has been behind bars since April 5, when he was busted for drug possession on the grounds of a California jail, where he was dropping off friends.

A court granted him permission to visit Fawcett for the first time on April 25, and the meeting in which O’Neal’s legs were shackled, but his hands were allowed to be free, was recorded for the documentary.

Fawcett’s loved ones have kept the news of her son’s incarceration from her. (ANI)

Cancer-stricken Fawcett’s documentary attracts 8.9M viewers

London, May 18 (ANI): A documentary showing veteran actress Farah Fawcett’s struggle against cancer has attracted nearly 8.9 million viewers on U.S. television.

The former Charlie’s Angels star was diagnosed with anal cancer three years ago, and her friend Alana Stewart had since been capturing her visits to specialists in Germany and her battle against her illness.

The documentary, Farrah’s Story, was aired on U.S. station NBC last week .

The channel claims that preliminary figures showed it was the station’s most-watched programme in its Friday night slot in more than a year, reports the Daily Star.

Meanwhile, Fawcett’s partner and actor Ryan O’Neal has revealed that he sometimes wishes that she would not wake up from her sleep.

Fawcett, 62, shows a strong face despite the pain she has been going through, but for her 68-year-old O’Neal the suffering his long-time lover has to go through is just too much to take. (ANI)

Farrah Fawcett’s cancer battle special to be telecast next week

Washington, May 6 (ANI): American actress Farrah Fawcett’s cancer battle is to be aired next week as a U.S. TV news special.

Fawcett, 62, has been battling anal cancer, which has spread to her liver.

She has also suffered complications from an unrelated medical procedure performed in Germany.

Her two-year fight has been captured on video by best pal Alana Stewart, and now the footage will make up a two-hour special, called ‘Farrah’s Story’.

Fawcett’s on/off partner Ryan O’Neal, and her former Charlie’s Angels co-stars Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson, will also appear in the programme.

“This film is very personal. At the time, I didn’t know if anybody would ever see it. But, at some point, the footage took on a life of its own and dictated that it be seen,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying. (ANI)

Farrah Fawcett’s jailed son pays her monitored visit

Washington, April 28 (ANI): Farrah Fawcett’s son Redmond O’Neal was temporarily released from prison so that he could see his cancer-battling mother under a visit monitored by the sheriff’s office.

Redmond, who has been serving his sentence for a violation of his parole stemming from drug charges, had been released for three hours over the weekend.

“A sergeant and a deputy drove him to his mother’s home [Saturday] and he’s now back in custody,” People magazine quoted L.A. County Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore as saying.

Whitmore further said that the O’Neal family shelled 1,285.39 dollars for the personal visit, adding: “The visit wasn’t paid for with taxpayer’s money.”

The 24-year-old prisoner, the only son of Fawcett and Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O’Neal, was said to have had a wonderful time with his mother.

A source added: “Redmond’s attorney had requested that he be allowed to visit his mom a while ago. It was not a crisis or emergency. Farrah is status quo.

“He had a lovely visit with his mom. Farrah was thrilled to see him. It was a wonderful visit.” (ANI)

Farrah Fawcett reassures fans she’s not ‘at death’s door’

London, Apr 7 (ANI): Actress Farrah Fawcett has been admitted to hospital for cancer treatment, but she has reassured fans that she is not “at death’s door”.

The ‘Charlie’s Angels’ star gave the message to her fans via a friend, Craig Nevius.

She claimed that though she recently checked into a Los Angeles hospital, contrary to reports, she was not unconscious.

“Farrah has hope, and she hopes that others will continue to hold onto theirs” the BBC quoted Nevius as saying.

The 62-year-old Charlie’s Angels star was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, and recently underwent treatment in Europe.

Nevius is producing a documentary about Fawcett’s battle with cancer.

He claimed that it was highly unusual for the actress to make an on-the-record statement in response to press reports.

He said that she was “allowing this statement out of appreciation for her fans, who have offered their constant support throughout her fight.”

“She’s doing fantastic. Her fight goes on. She’s not going anywhere anytime soon. As previously reported by everybody, she’s not unconscious. She is not on death’s door. The family has not gathered to say goodbye,” he added. (ANI)

Scientists unearth the yin and yang of asthma

London, March 30 (ANI): A study has shed some light on how an enzyme prompts an allergic reaction, and how a vitamin dampens the inflammatory effect, in people with asthma.

A consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found that the allergen breathed in by asthmatics triggers the enzyme MMP7, which activates a cascade of events to prompt an allergic reaction.

Drs. Farrah Kheradmand and David B. Corry, both of whom are associate professors of Medicine-Pulmonary at BCM as well as senior authors of the study report, point out that that MMP7 particularly activates interleukin 25, a key mediator of the allergic response in the lung.

The research team have also found that a form of vitamin A made in the lung is critical for dampening the inflammatory effect.

While experimenting on mice, the researchers observed that the animals lacking MMP7 had higher production of retinal dehydrogenase, an enzyme that is responsible for synthesizing vitamin A in the lung.

They revealed that the MMP7 deficient mice showed less lung inflammation when exposed to allergens, compared to those that had enough of the enzyme.

When the researchers suppressed the production of vitamin A, the asthmatic symptoms in the MMP7 deficient mice were restored.

“It is important to know which mediators in the airway may be setting off the initial cascade of events that result in the asthmatic reaction in the lung; it would be like getting to the top of the food chain,” Nature magazine quoted them as saying.

Kheradmand and Corry hope that future studies will help better understand the relationship between the synthesis of vitamin A in the body and the repression of MMP7. research article on their most recent findings appears online in the journal Nature Immunology. (ANI)

Ryan O’Neal admits to possessing methamphetamine

Washington, January 10 (ANI): Oscar nominee Ryan O’Neal pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine before a court in Malibu, California, on Friday.

His son Redmond, also an accused in the case, was also present in the court at the time. He, however, had his case continued until February 20.

The court sentenced O’Neal to 18 months in a drug rehabilitation program.

Once he completes the program successfully, the charge will be removed from his criminal record.

The 67-year-old actor has also been directed not to possess any controlled substance or associate with anyone whom he knows to be a drug user, reports Fox News.

O’Neal, who was subdued in court, said only the word “guilty” when asked for his plea.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies arrested him on September 17 at his Malibu home, after they found drugs in his bedroom during a search of the house related to his son’s probation.

Redmond, the son of Ryan and Farrah Fawcett, had been on probation for felony possession of heroin and methamphetamine. (ANI)