A silkscreen of Farrah Fawcett by Andy Warhol has become the focal point of a legal dispute between Ryan O’Neal, Fawcett’s on-again, off-again partner from 1979 until her death in 2009, and the University of Texas.
O’Neal claims Warhol, personally gave him the 1980 portrait of the “Charlie’s Angels” beautie, which may be worth $30 million, and he only left it at Fawcett’s house briefly when a girlfriend took issue with it being in his own home. He says he retrieved it after Fawcett’s death, according to a report on the “Today” show on Wednesday (Nov. 13).
According to O’Neal, the University of Texas is “greedily … trying to take (his) cherished portrait of the love of his life.”
The actor and the school will go head-to-head in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday in a two-week trial. The list of possible witnesses includes O’Neal, his and Fawcett’s son Redmond, and the actress’ former “Charlie’s Angel” co-star Jaclyn Smith.
Who will win the dispute?
“It may come down to how good of an actor Mr. O’Neal is,” said probate and estate attorney Kenneth Ostrove on TODAY. “If he can play out that emotional side of it, be believable.”