Reaction to Farrah Fawcett’s passing from Ryan O’Neal, her Charlie’s Angels co-stars and more

Ryan O’Neal, who was with Farrah Fawcett when she died this morning in a Santa Monica hospital, has released a statement to People about the woman he loved for three decades:

“She’s gone. She now belongs to the ages. She’s now with her mother and sister and her God. I loved her with all my heart. I will miss her so very, very much. She was in and out of consciousness. I talked to her all through the night. I told her how very much I loved her. She’s in a better place now…She was with her team when she passed … Her eyes were open, but she didn’t say anything. But you could see in her eyes that she recognized us.”

Ryan and Farrah have a 24-year-old son, Redmond. Although they broke up in 1997 after 17 years together, they had been back i each other’s lives for several years – even before Farrah was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2006.

Farrah’s Charlie’s Angels co-stars have all spoken publicly today about the most famous Angel of them all:

Jaclyn Smith: “Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels.”

Kate Jackson: “I will miss Farrah everyday. She was a selfless person who loved her family and friends with all her heart, and what a big heart it was. Farrah showed immense courage and grace throughout her illness and was an inspiration to those around her. When I think of Farrah I will remember her kindness, her cutting dry wit and of course her beautiful smile. Today when you think of Farrah remember her smiling because that is exactly how she wanted to be remembered…smiling.”

Cheryl Ladd: “I’m terribly sad about Farrah’s passing. She was incredibly brave, and God will be welcoming her with open arms.”

I also want to include this remembrance from publicist Jeffrey Ballard who I’ve worked with from time to time and who I know was close to Farrah as well as the Van Patten family:

Jeffrey Ballard The very first person in this crazy business to give me a job was Farrah Fawcett. I was her assistant at 17 years old. We remained friends for over three decades. I will miss her always. She was a genuine, loving women with a heart of gold. God Bless Her. RIP

In lieu of flowers the family has asked that donations to support cancer research be made to: The Farrah Fawcett Foundation c/o P.O. Box 6478 Beverly Hills, CA 90212.