Ryan O’Neal Posts Touching Photo of His ‘Angel’ Farrah Fawcett Over a Decade After Her Death

Over a decade after her passing, Ryan O’Neal is paying tribute to his late partner, Farrah Fawcett. On Instagram, O’Neal posted a photo of himself and Fawcett, whom he called an “angel.” Fawcett died in June 2009 after a battle with cancer.

O’Neal posted a photo on June 25, which marked the 12th anniversary of Fawcett’s death. In the photo, O’Neal and Fawcett can be seen in a loving embrace as they pose at what appears to be a beach. In his caption, the actor noted that the snap was taken by Herb Ritts. He captioned the photo by writing a sweet message in Fawcett’s honor, as he wrote, “Missing my angel. [heart emoji] Forever.” Fans couldn’t help but flock to the comments section of the post to send some kind words O’Neal’s way. One fan even wrote, “She’ll always be with you.”

Fawcett and O’Neal reportedly fell for one another in 1979, which happens to be when the Charlie’s Angels star was married to Lee Majors, per PEOPLE. While the pair never married, they did have a long-term relationship with one another. The two welcomed a son together, Redmond O’Neal, in 1985. They announced their split in 1997, telling reporters at the time that they would be co-parenting their son. But, they reunited in 2001 when O’Neal was diagnosed with leukemia, of which he is currently in remission.

In 2019, many of Fawcett’s friends reflected on her life. Of course, they also addressed the late star’s bond with O’Neal. Her friend Sylvia Dorsey told PEOPLE, “Ryan was the love of her life. I don’t think she was happy without him. They fought and loved with passion. It was never boring. They were electric together.” Another friend, Alana Stewart, shared that O’Neal and Fawcett were due to take a big step in their relationship prior to her death. She explained that O’Neal proposed to his longtime girlfriend weeks before she ultimately passed.

“He never left her side, especially those last few months,” Stewart said. “I think they would’ve married if she had made it because he asked her to marry him in the hospital and she said yes. But she took a turn for the worse. This was just a few weeks before the end, so perhaps it wasn’t realistic. The two of them had a deep bond and deep love. No matter what they went through, the ups and downs, he was the one she wanted by her side.” Fawcett died in June 2009 after battling anal cancer. O’Neal was reportedly holding her hand when she passed away.