Two weeks after the passing of Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O'Neal, the star's cause of death has been disclosed.
The charismatic Hollywood star - who graced the silver screen for over six decades - passed away on December 8 at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.
His death was confirmed by his children, with the actor's son, Patrick O'Neal, revealing that the Love Story star "passed away peacefully".
Additionally, the actor's daughter - Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal - told PEOPLE: "I feel great sorrow with my father's passing... He meant the world to me. I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I'll miss him forever and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms."
According to the death certificate obtained by The Blast, it has now been revealed that O'Neal succumbed to "congestive heart failure".
In addition to revealing the cause of death, the certificate noted that O'Neal had been battling "cardiomyopathy" for several years.
Cardiomyopathy is a condition that affects the heart muscle's ability to efficiently pump blood throughout the body, as described by the Cleveland Clinic.
His death certificate also revealed that O'Neal passed away at the Saint John's Health Center in Los Angeles. He was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary, also in Los Angeles.
Among those to pay tribute to the late icon is former flame Barbra Streisand, who wrote on Instagram: "So sad to hear the news of Ryan O’Neal’s passing [...] We made two films together, What’s Up, Doc? and The Main Event. He was funny and charming, and he will be remembered."
O'Neal's Peyton Place co-star Mia Farrow also paid tribute to the late Hollywood heartthrob on Instagram, writing in a tribute post: "I was 18 when we made the pilot for Peyton Place. He was several years older than me, happily married to a gorgeous actress Joanna Moore and they had a new baby (Tatum). He was so confident and very, very funny!"
"There were times when he made me laugh so uncontrollably that we had to stop shooting," she added. "He was my first, very secret crush. I was so shy I could barely look at him."
Throughout his life, the Peyton Place star faced multiple health challenges, including a diagnosis of chronic leukemia in 2001 and prostate cancer in 2012. In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, he reflected on his health battles, expressing pride in his ability to survive them. "I'm proud of them, I've survived them. I thought I was gone. And suddenly I come back. Not the same man I was, but I'm back," he said.
Ryan O'Neal's leukemia diagnosis played a pivotal role in his reconciliation with Farrah Fawcett, with whom he had a romantic relationship from about 1979 to 1997. Their reconciliation led to them remaining together until Fawcett's passing in 2009.
Ryan O'Neal had children from various relationships. He shared Tatum, 60, and Griffin O'Neal, 59, with Joanna Moore, and Patrick, 56, with Leigh Taylor-Young. His youngest son, Redmond, 38, was born to him and Fawcett.
In the same 2021 PEOPLE interview, Ryan contemplated his legacy, acknowledging the many stories told about him. "Oh, I've had so many stories told about me that I don't even know what my legacy is," he remarked.
Our thoughts continue to go out to O'Neal's family, friends, and fans at this time.
