Kate Jackson claims Ryan O'Neal stopped her from visiting dying Farrah Fawcett

“I was shut out.
I was prevented from saying goodbye
to one of my best friends.”

Add Kate Jackson to the list of close friends who claim they were banned from visiting Farrah Fawcett in the final weeks of her life.

Farrah's Charlie's Angels costar and friend of four decades has come out with teeth and claws bared, charging that Ryan O'Neal and Alana Stewart suddenly cut off access to the actress as she lost her battle to cancer.

"I was shut out. I was prevented from saying goodbye to one of my best friends."

Kate says the she learned of the banishment suddenly, as she had arrived to visit Farrah' at her condo on Wilshire Boulevard. "I was walking across the lobby at her apartment, carrying a shopping bag with apples, grapes, green tea and as I got toward the elevator, the security guard yelled out ‘Ms. Jackson, no-one upstairs.’

“I turned around, looked at the guard and said, ‘What?’ I was stunned.

“I walked over to him. I was really incredulous because this particular guard had seen me from the beginning. I asked him why and he said he didn’t know, but it had come from upstairs.

“From that moment on, we weren’t able to see or talk to Farrah, again. It was very upsetting."


Jackson, 61, says she confronted Stewart and demanded to know why she and others were stopped from seeing Farrah.

“Alana told me that was what Farrah wanted, because she didn’t want anyone to see her like that."

“That, to me, didn’t make much sense because the whole world was about to see her like that in the documentary, Farrah’s Story. It didn’t sound right.

“On the miniscule possibility that what Alana said was true, I did not wish to do something against Farrah’s wishes and just burst in.

“On the chance it was Farrah’s wishes, we all didn’t want to upset her. I wanted to respect her wishes.

“But to be truthful, I wish I had burst in. I really do.”

Kate Jackson joins other Farrah intimates like secret boyfriend Greg Lott and production partner Craig Nevius, who claim that O'Neal stopped them from paying respects to their dear friend Farrah. She recently raised eyebrows when she "switched sides" and threw her support to Nevius in his lawsuit battle with O'Neal, Stewart and Richard B. Francis over the Farrah's Story documentary special.

She made her explosive comments to RadarOnline.com, the Internet branch of the National Enquirer that last week ran our exclusive story about the auctioning of a lock of Farrah's hair without attribution.

"Call Me A Liar?" Now Kate Jackson disputes Farrah Fawcett's signature that allowed Ryan O'Neal to take over her documentary

Former Charlie's Angel says Kate Jackson has upped the ante in her war of words with Ryan O'Neal, now claiming she doubts the validity of the document that gave him and Alana Stewart control of the documentary that Farrah had been producing with Craig Nevius.

As we reported exclusively in May-- a month before Farrah's death-- Nevius is using the signature on the document as evidence that he was improperly removed from the video journal project that Farrah sold to NBC and O'Neal ultimately engineered into the maudlin, exploitative (high rating and Emmy-nominated) Farrah's Story. (Farrah's and O'Neal's business manager Richard B. Francis, on behalf of Farrah's estate, countered by suing Nevius for misappropriating funds and screwing up the documentary.)

Now the 61-year-old Jackson, who last year on NBC Today show attacked Nevius and slapped him with the "Devious" moniker, has made an extraordinary team-switch.

As O'Neal insists that Jackson is lying when she says he and Stewart kept her from "saying goodbye" to Farrah at the end of her life, Jackson has turned handwriting expert, telling RadarOnline.com that she questions Farrah's signature on the lawsuit document!

Farrah Fawcett signature, April 2008

Farrah Fawcett signature April 2009

"Farrah had such beautiful penmanship," Jackson is quoted as saying. "It caused me to become very sad and upset, when I saw that signed document, because I believed that she was not awake enough, because of the pain medication she required.

"Frankly, to me, that document didn't look like she could have a clue what she was signing."


Jackson also clarifies the "Devious" crack on the Today show:

"I was embarrassed. I was told before I did the Today Show that Craig Nevius was a crook and all this other stuff. I thought he was attempting to do all these awful things."

Jackson says it was soon after the Today interview that she Stewart told her that Farrah didn't want to see her.


"I wasn't allowed to ask Farrah if that was indeed the case that she didn't want to see me or others. "I wasn't allowed to talk to her on the phone, at all.

"Even if a person is in such pain that they sleep most of the time, if the phone was answered, or the messages weren't so full that you can't leave one, I could have had someone put the phone to her ear so I could tell her that I love her.

"Even if she was sleeping, I wouldn't have cared. I needed to do it But the phone was never answered or it was full of messages. That to me was weird.

"I am having a great deal of difficulty dealing with this. It is very, very, upsetting and I can't see myself ever getting over it."

Read more at RadarOnline.com.

Ryan O'Neal calls Kate Jackson a liar

Ryan O'Neal says Kate Jackson is a liar.

The 68-year-old actor, holder of Farrah Fawcett's legacy and father of her troubled, drug-addicted son, has remained on the sidelines, if a participant, in the battles over his on-off lover who died of cancer in June, and despite some provocative comments in the media, has had to be pulled into the fray, as he was when Farrah's college sweetheart and secret lover Greg Lott confronted him in the street with a camera crew in tow.

Now, however, he's stepped into the ring willingly to rebut Jackson, a Farrah friend of four decades as well as Charlie's Angel costar, who caused a stir last week when she claimed to RadarOnline.com that O'Neal had cut off her access to Farrah in the final weeks of her life. O'Neal tells RadarOnline that it's "not true.

"Firstly, Farrah spent the last week of her life in the hospital. Secondly, why would Kate be denied access to Farrah and then be invited to her services?"

Jackson said the last time she saw Farrah was at an intimate gathering in February 2009 for the icon's 62nd birthday. And though she had attacked Farrah's original documentary partner Craig Nevius, labelling him "Craig Devious," she recanted and is now siding with the producer in his legal battle over the doco against O'Neal, Farrah friend Alana Stewart and O'Neal business manager Richard B. Francis.


O'Neal's representative Arnold Robinson adds:

"Mr. O'Neal's only wishes are for Farrah to rest in peace and for her contributions and legacy to be remembered by the millions who loved her."

Kate Jackson wants to move to Australia

Suspicions that former Charlie's Angels actress Kate Jackson picked a fight with Ryan O'Neal as a way to revive her career have been put to rest by a portion of her story that has yet to receive widespread exposure in the Hollywood media: she is planning to leave the country.

Jackson raised a storm when she claimed last week that O'Neal and Alana Stewart had prevented her from visiting her dear friend Farrah Fawcett in the final weeks of her life. The uproar was kicked into hurricane status when she made a stunning reversal and backed Craig Nevius in his legal battle against O'Neal and Stewart over their commandeering of his and Farrah's cancer documentary. Jackson also suggested that O'Neal had coerced a delirious Farrah into signing over the rights to him.


As it turns out, the interview that appeared on RadarOnline.com was conducted by international journalist Dylan Howard, known recently for bringing further exposure and validity to the claims by Farrah's college beau Greg Lott that O'Neal prevented him from visiting Farrah, his recent, secret lover.

A version of the story also appeared in Australia's Woman's Day magazine, and in a sidebar, the 61-year-old actress reveals her surprise plans:

"I want to move to Australia. When I started acting school, I thought, 'Gee, I would love to go to Australia,' but then my life took off.

"I ended up going in the '80s for the Logies... and I think it is great there. Australia to me feels like America when I was growing up. It feels safe. Here, I can't let my 14-year-old son go ride his bike without supervision. You need to put a GPS chip in him to do that.

"I'll live in the city in the beginning, to meet people, and then move somewhere where I will be more comfortable.

"I'm too young to retire. I want to work and Australia is the place for me to do that."

Alana Stewart says Kate Jackson is "insane"

Well, Farrah Fawcett is certainly more controversial in death than she was in life. Amid the hubbub over the Academy Awards®' boneheaded decision to omit the beloved actress from its In Memorium segment Sunday night pipes up Farrah friend Alana Stewart to refute Kate Jackson's claim that she (Stewart) and Ryan O'Neal stopped Kate from visiting Farrah in the final months of her life.

Alana, who is billed as "Farrah's best friend," accompanied Farrah to Germany for her ultimately unsuccessful cancer treatments and held the camera for the verite footage of her fight to beat the disease. After Farrah sunk into the final stage of her illness, Stewart reportedly held up production of the NBC tabloid special based on her original film, demanding more money and a producer's credit, then was the first to cash in with a quickie book about her best friend.


Now she returns to the spotlight to say that Farrah's friend of four decades and Charlie's Angels costar is "insane."

"First of all, I spoke to Kate many, many times during Farrah's final months and explained to her that Farrah did not want to see people. It was not my choice, or Ryan's. Farrah wanted to keep some of her friends away.


"I would go to her and say, 'Honey, so and so has called, these people really want to see you.' Farrah would think about it for a moment and respond, 'Not now, I just don't feel like it.' I don't think Farrah wanted to emotionally deal with it. She didn't want people seeing her when she wasn't looking like herself."


As for the others who have hurled barbs at Stewart and O'Neal, she adds to RadarOnline:

"These people should just put a pin in it and honor her (Farrah’s) memory. They're angry, bitter, disgruntled or have an axe to grind. Farrah's legacy is far greater than any of these people could disparage. Let Farrah rest in peace."

Now what do you think about that?

Exclusive: British guy comes to America to write book on US-UK relations-- and to meet 500 celebs

We don't subscribe to the idea that British people all have bad teeth. We understand that the island nation discovered fluoride sometime in the Seventies, just as they managed to spin out a chef or two and learn to cook in the past fifteen years. We do hold the belief that all British men have had at least one gay experience, and that even the most lady-killing British male is overcompensating for a buggering in his schooldays-- a prejudice enforced over the weekend when we cracked open Victor Spinetti's book and later on the Virgin America flight home read an Esquire UK article about some hot tart named Rosamund Pike who claimed her hottest romance was with a guy who turned out to be gay and that they and his new boyfriend now go on threesome vacations together, not that there's anything wrong with any of that but which simply isn't so taken for granted in America.

Which leads us to Jules Segal, a young British guy who's arrived in the States to research a new book and embark on a stunt crusade to get 500 US celebrities "to sign a British flag with messages of support for the British people" (the flag will be auctioned for a kids' charity).


Jules pulled off a similar stunt in the UK, in which he got celebs like Cheri Blair, Ian McLellan, Jonathan Ross and Chris Martin, the bedwetting guy from Coldplay and a lot of people we're not familiar with (but who are very familiar in the UK) to shake his hand. He got a lot of publicity and a book out of the deal: Greeting The 500.

Now, like Sacha Baron Cohen, Toby Young and Marco Pierre White (well, not Marco Pierre White...) he's headed across the pond, and like de Tocqueville and Allan Whicker before him, will take the pulse of the big country while exploring the "special relationship" between the UK and the US, and speaking to Americans about their views on all things British, "our accents, our bad teeth, the Beckhams, our music, our common foreign policies, whether we should always go to war together..."

And then there are the 500 celebrities, a list he gathered from a Facebook poll and whom he's approaching quite formally, quite British, actually, through letters and proper channels as opposed to the good old American tradition of stalking.

We like the idea that Jules' project started out as a bet. Jules' mate gave him a list of 500 UK celebs and six months to get his photo taken shaking hands with as many as possible. He need to meet 20% of them to win the bet. Gambling comes into play this time as well:

"Jules has very little money, no full-time job and the residue of a gambling habit. In order to finance his trip, he has placed two bets with the William Hill bookmaking firm. One of these bets relates to how many of the 500 he will manage to meet in 90 days, the other bet will be paid out if amongst others, he meets Tiger Woods, Scarlet Johansson, Kanye West, Emeril Lagasse and Daniel Negreanu and completes a pre-arranged task with each of these individuals..."

The list follows. If you are on it or have an in with someone who is, you can reach him here. We spoke to Jules this week, he comes recommended by our pals at Anorak and we'll be keeping track of his progress.

Jules in in Los Angeles now. He's got quite a task ahead. Some of his target celebs are in prison; one or two may be dead.

Fellow journos: go out and do your jobs, run a feature on The US-Say project and book this guy for your shows.

Segal's List
‘500 Americans’

50 cent Aaron Sorkin Adam Sandler Adam West Al Jarreau Al Roker Al Sharpton Al Gore Al Pacino Al Unser Jr Alan Dershowitz Alan Alda Alan Greenspan Alex Trebek Alex Rodriguez Alexi Lalas Alice Cooper America Ferrera Andre 3000 Angelina Jolie Ann Coulter Anna Wintour Anne Rice Annie Liebowitz Anthony Bourdain Antonio Fargas Ariana Huffington A Schwarzenegger Arsenio Hall Art Garfunkel Ashley Olsen Axl Rose Barack Obama Barbra Streisand Barbara Walters Barry Bonds Ben Stiller Beth Ditto Betty Ford Betty White Big Bird Bill Bryson Bill Cosby Bill Maher Bill Clinton Bill Gates Bill Murray Billy Crystal Billy Graham Billie Jean King Billy Ray Cyrus Bo Derek Bo Jackson Bob Beamon Bob Dylan Bob Woodward Brad Pitt Bret Easton Ellis Britney Spears Bruce Campbell Bruce Springsteen Bruce Willis Burt Reynolds Butch Harmon Calvin Klein Cameron Diaz Carl Lewis Carly Fiorina Carrie Fisher Carson Kressley Casey Kasem Charles Barkley Charles Manson Charlie Kaufman Cheech Cher Chevy Chase Chris Rock Christopher Gardner Christian Bale Christian Slater Christina Aguilera Christy Turlington Chubby Checker Chuck Norris Chuck Palahniuk Cindy Crawford Clint Eastwood Colin Powell Condoleeza Rice Courtney Cox Courtney Love Dale Earnhardt Jr Dan Rather Dan Brown Dan Aykroyd Dan Castellaneta Dan Marino Dan Quayle Dane Cook Daniel Libeskind Daniel Negreanu Danielle Steele Danny de Vito Dave Brubeck Dave Chapelle Dave Grohl Dave Lee Roth David Duke David Geffen David Blaine David Copperfield David Hasselhoff David Letterman David Lynch David Mamet David Schwimmer David Soul Debbie Harry Debbie Gibson Dennis Hopper Dennis Rodman Denzel Washington Derek Jeter Diana Ross Diane Sawyer Dick Cheney Duane Chapman Dolly Parton Don King Donald Rumsfeld Donald Sutherland Donald Trump Donna Karan Donnie Wahlberg Donny Osmond Doris Day Doyle Brunson Dr Dre Dr John Dr Ruth Dr Phil Drew Barrymore Dustin Hoffman Ed Moses Eddie Murphy Eliot Spitzer Ellen DeGeneres Emeril Lagasse Eminem Evander Holyfield Fats Domino Fergie Florence Henderson Frank Oz Frank Gehry Fred Savage Garth Brooks Garry Shandling Gary Busey Gary Coleman Gary Larson Gene Simmons Gene Wilder George Foreman George Lucas George Romero George Lopez George Pataki George W Bush George Clooney Gilbert Godfrey Gore Vidal Grace Jones Greg Louganis Gwyneth Paltrow Harper Lee Harrison Ford Harry Connick Jr Harvey Weinstein Harvey Keitel Hayden Panettiere Heidi Fleiss Henry Winkler Henry Kissinger Hilary Hahn Hillary Clinton Howard Stern Hugh Hefner Hulk Hogan Ice Cube Ice T Iggy Pop Isaac Mizrahi Jack Nicklaus Jack Black Jack Nicholson Jackie Chan Jackie Mason James Gandolfini James Horner James Earl Jones James Ellroy James Hellwig James Woods Jane Fonda Janice Dickinson Jason Bateman Jasper Johns Jaws (Richard Kiel) Jay Leno Jay-Z JD Salinger Jeff Gordon Jeff Goldblum Jeff Koons Jeff Skoll Jenna Jameson Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Lopez Jermain Jackson Jerry Rice Jerry Bruckheimer Jerry Springer Jesse Draper Jesse Jackson Jesse Ventura Jessica Simpson Jessica Alba Jim Brown Jim Davis Jim Carrey JJ Abrams Joan Rivers Jodie Foster Joe Montana Joe Pesci Joe Torre John Glover Roberts John Williams John Irving John Bobbit John Cusack John Daly John Glenn John Grisham John Malkovich John McEnroe Jon Stewart John Travolta John Wooden Johnny Depp Jon Bon Jovi Jordin Sparks Jordy Chandler Jorge Posada Josh Holloway Judd Nelson Judith Sheindlin Julia Roberts Justin Timberlake Kanye West Karl Rove Kate Hudson Kathleen Battle Kathy Ireland Kathie Lee Gifford Katie Couric Kato Kaelin Keanu Reeves Kelly Slater Kelly Clarkson Ken Starr Kenny Rogers Kevin Bacon Kevin Federline Kevin Smith Kiefer Sutherland Kim Cattral Kirsten Dunst Kobe Bryant Laffit Pincay Lance Armstrong Larry King Larry Seinfeld Larry Craig Larry David Larry Hagman Lee Corso Leonard Nimoy Leonardo di Caprio Linda Carter Lindsay Lohan Liza Minnelli Loretta Lynn Lou Ferrigno Lou Reed Louis Farrakhan Lucy Liu M N Shyamalan Macaulay Culkin Madeleine Albright Madonna Magic Johnson Malcolm Glazier Marc Jacobs Marie Osmond Marilyn Manson Marc McGwire Mark Zuckerburg Martha Stewart Martin Scorsese Martina Navratilova Mary-Kate Olsen Matisyahu Matt Damon Matt Groening Matthew Broderick Maya Angelou MC Hammer Meatloaf Mel Brooks Michael Bloomberg Michael Chertoff Michael Dell Michael Douglas Michael Griffin Michael J Fox Michael Jackson Michael Johnson Michael Jordon Michael Moore Michael Phelps Michelle Kwan Michelle Wie Mike Judge Mike Tyson Mikhail Baryshnikov Missy Elliot Moby Molly Ringwald Monica Lewinsky Mookie Wilson Morgan Freeman Morgan Spurlock Mr T Muhammed Ali Nadia Comaneci Nancy Cartwright Nancy Pelosi Neil Armstrong Neil Diamond Nicole Richie Noam Chomsky N Schwartzkopf OJ Simpson Oliver North Oprah Winfrey Oscar de la Hoya Owen Wilson P Diddy Pamela Anderson Paris Hilton Pat Sajak Patricia Arquette Patty Hearst Paul Auster Paul Shaffer Paul Teutul Paul Wolfowitz Paula Abdul Pauly Shore Pee Wee Herman Penn Jillette Perez Hilton Pete Sampras Peter Falk Peyton Manning Phil Mickleson Philip Glass PJ O’Rourke Prince Queen Latifah Q Tarrantino Quincy Jones Ralph Lauren Ralph Macchio Ray Liotta Reese Witherspoon Reggie Bush Regis Philbin Revered Al Green Richard Gere Richard Petty Rick Warren Ricki Lake Robert Rauschenberg Robert DeNiro Robin Williams Rodney King Roger Clemens Roger Ebert Ron Howard Ron Popeil Ron Jeremy Rosanna Arquette Rose McGowan Rosie Perez Ross Perot Roy Innis Ru Paul Rudolf Giuliani Rush Limbaugh Ryan Seacrest Samuel L Jackson Sara Silverman Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Michelle Gellar Scarlett Johanssen Scooter Libby Sean Penn Siegfried & Roy Serena Williams Seth Macfarlane Sharon Stone Sheryl Crow Smokey Robinson Sophia Coppola South Park guys Spike Jonze Spike Lee Stephen Sondheim Stephen Colbert Stephen King Steve Buscemi Steve Carell Steve Guttenberg Steve Jobs Steve Martin Steve-O Steve Williams Steve Wynn Steven Spielberg Stevie Nicks Stevie Wonder Susannah Hoffs Sylvester Stallone Ted Danson Ted Koppel Ted Turner Teddy Kennedy Terry O’Quinn The Fridge The Rock Thomas Mesereau Tiffany Tiger Woods Tila Tequila Tim Gunn Tim Robbins Tim Sale Timbaland Tom Anderson Tom Brokaw Tom Clancy Tom Cruise Tom Hanks Tom Selleck Tommy Franks Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Moe Tony Danza Tony Hawk Tony Robbins Tony Romo Tonya Harding Traci Lords Ty Pennington Tyra Banks Uma Thurman Vanilla Ice Vanna White Vera Wang Verne Troyer Vince Vaughan Vincent Gallo Walter Kronkite Warren Buffett Weird Al Yankovitch Wentworth Miller Wes Andersen Whoopi Goldberg Will Ferrell Will Smith William Shatner Willie Nelson Wolfang Puck Woody Allen Zach Braff Zsa Zsa Gabor

Ryan O'Neal strikes back as his business manager countersues Farrah Fawcett's producing partner on behalf of her estate

Don't let the headlines fool you. Word that "Farrah Fawcett's estate" is suing her production partner Craig Nevius is the latest volley in a war that began when Nevius filed suit against Ryan O'Neal, his business manager Richard B. Francis and Alana Stewart for snatching control of the cancer documentary that was turned into a maudlin NBC special.

Nevius had claimed O'Neal and company threatened him in the power grab. In the suit filed yesterday, Farrah's-- and O'Neal's business manager Richard B. Francis filed suit yesterday on behalf of Farrah's estate and her company, Sweetened By Risk LLC.

The lawsuit claims Nevius exploited Farrah and improperly revealed privileged information about her to the media, including news that her cancer had returned. The suit also claims Nevius turned in an unworkable first cut of that documentary on Farrah's cancer fight and may have embezzled money from Sweetened By Risk.

The lawsuit states NBC, which aired the television special Farrah's Story, had to rework the footage with help from Fawcett's longtime, on-again, off-again lover, Ryan O'Neal. The edits were being made until shortly before the special aired, the lawsuit states.

Nevius' attorney, Miles J. Feldman responded:

"These allegations lack merit and are a pathetic attempt to try to intimidate and further injure Mr. Nevius."

We've covered the story extensively in the past year. After Farrah's health took a turn for the worst, Ryan O'Neal took control of Farrah's estate and cancer project, kicking Nevius to the curb and, with the help of producers from NBC's Dateline show, renamed it Farrah's Story (a nod to his star turn in Love Story forty years ago) and turned what was a video journal into a maudlin exploitative television special that featured a scene in which Farrah and O'Neal's shackled drug-addicted son climbs into her deathbed.

Nevius sued Francis, O'Neal and Fawcett's friend Alana Stewart over Farrah's Story last year, claiming that the trio interfered with his role in Farrah's Story. That suit is still pending

According to the lawsuit filed Friday, Nevius knew Farrah for about five years before she died on June 25th, working with her on the Chasing Farrah reality TV series and producing the documentary that eventually aired on NBC before Farrah cut ties to him in early 2009 and he became jealous of O'Neal and Stewart.

The lawsuit contends Nevius turned in a first cut of Farrah's Story that Farrah deemed "wholly unacceptable." She then turned creative control of the film over to O'Neal.

The complaint states Francis believes Nevius "embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars" from Farrah's company. It states Nevius has refused to allow Sweetened by Risk's financial records.

An interesting footnote: Farrah's Charlie's Angels co-star Kate Jackson is defending Nevius.

Though she'd been critical of him in the past, Kate said last night that her earlier comments were misguided, that as far as she knows Farrah had creative control when she worked with Nevius, and that she's shocked by the allegations:

"He had an unflagging devotion to Farrah in every way and he worked with her to help her achieve her vision, not his vision and not anybody else's vision."

Farrah lawsuit labelled "a load of sh*t"

LISA BOYLE/RADARONLINE.COM

"A load of shit!"
"A great big lie!"

Farrah Fawcett's documentary producing partner Craig Nevius has gotten another show of support from another member of Farrah's inner circle against the lawsuit filed by Farrah's estate and its executor, Ryan O'Neal's business manager Richard B. Francis.

This weekend, the National Enquirer's RadarOnline.com reports exclusively that Lisa Boyle has called the lawsuit accusing Nevius of botching Farrah's cancer documentary and possibly stealing her money “a load of s---” and “one big lie” (our staff figured out the translation of "s---").

“Farrah would not have wanted what is going on,” Boyle tells Radar.

LISA BOYLE/RADARONLINE.COM

Lisa Boyle is a photographer who met Farrah on the set of the 204 reality series, Chasing Farrah that was produced by Nevius. She remained a close friend and confidante of the icon until her death from cancer last June.

She is the latest Farrah insider, joining Charlie's Angel Kate Jackson and Farrah's former assistant Mike Pingel, supporting Nevius in his fight against O'Neal, Francis, and Alana Stweart. Nevius sued the trio for wresting control of his and Farrah's documentary project, A Wing and A Prayer after Farrah sold the footage to NBC, and then turning the cancer journey project into a maudlin, exploitative paean to Farrah and O'Neal's love, retitled Farrah's Story in a nod to O'Neal's film from 1970, Love Story.

The suit against Nevius, filed earlier this month, is seen to be a countersuit to his charges. Nevius has stated that he will use Farrah's written and videotaped statements in his defense, literally calling his partner to testify from beyond the grave.

Farrah Fawcett's assistant backs Nevius

Farrah Fawcett's former personal assistant is the latest insider to line up against her estate in an ugly legal battle over her legacy that's only intensifying seven months after her death.

Mike Pingel, who worked for Farrah from November 2005 to October 2007 and was said to be at her side when she got her cancer diagnosis in 2006, has come forward to support documentary producer Craig Nevius, who was sued last week by Farrah's estate, for allegedly misusing her funds and botching the cancer documentary that was eventually sold as a special to NBC-- and apparently in retaliation for his own lawsuit against the estate's executor and Farrah's sometime lover Ryan O'Neal.

Pingel, author of The Q Guide To Charlie's Angels, and by one account, an "unsung hero in Farrah's life," goes public on his Charlie's Angels fansite:

"Farrah trusted her friend and producing partner, Craig Nevius with executing her vision for the documentary which was to tell the world of her cancer battle. Farrah was so pleased with how 'A Wing & A Prayer' was coming together she even showed me part of the film. It's sad her vision was stopped and has yet to be seen."

Pingel also posts Friday's statement from Farrah's Charlie's Angel costar Kate Jackson in support of Nevius:

"He had an unflagging devotion to Farrah in every way and he worked with her to help her achieve her vision, not his vision and not anybody else's vision."

Nevius, as readers of this site are well aware, had sued the man who became executor of the estate, Richard B. Francis, along with O'Neal and friend Alana Stewart, for pushing him out of the project, which was originally entitled A Wing & A Prayer and retitled Farrah's Story to bring to mind O'Neal's 1970 film, Love Story.

Nevius and his attorney have said that the latest legal action is an attempt at intimidation. Nevius has promised to use Farrah's own words and writings in his defense.

Ryan O'Neal to exploit son Redmond's drug battle in his Farrah Fawcett documentary sequel

Despite the denials, it appears that Ryan O'Neal will exploit his and Farrah Fawcett's son Redmond and his drug problems in a reality television format, after all.

RadarOnline.com reports that Redmond's sad battle with heroin and other addictions will be one of three plotlines in the follow-up to Farrah's Story, the exploitative NBC special that was carved from Farrah and production partner Craig Nevius' original video journal of her cancer struggle.

RadarOnline says its reporters have seen the letter O'Neal is sending out to get people to cooperate. It reads in part:

“We plan to focus on three main areas of her legacy: her art (namely her films and her sculptures), her inspirational battle with cancer; and the light of her life, our son Redmond, who is now fighting to reclaim himself in honor of his mother.”


According to RadarOnline, O'Neal also writes that the documentary will include Farrah’s voice from “an original, never-aired 2005 interview with never-before-seen footage from our private collection of home movies.”

One of the most horrific parts of the Farrah's Story special was the scene, engineered by O'Neal, in which a shackled Redmond was led from jail into the room of his near-comatose mother and allowed to get into bed with her. The sequel promises to pick up the story from there.

It's not known if O'Neal will include video of Farrah's death.

O’Neal plans to keep shooting interviews through March. It's not known if he'll get to interview Redmond, who's in court-ordered drug rehab after years of arrests, jailtime and drug treatment.


O'Neal and Redmond were arrested together on drug charges in 2008 when police found methamphetamine in the actor's Malibu home. O'Neal at first denied the drugs were his, but last year pleaded guilty to drug possession and was sentenced to a year and a half of drug counseling.

Last week, after Farrah's Charlies Angels costar Kate Jackson attacked him in the media, O'Neal said through a spokesman that his "only wishes are for Farrah to rest in peace."

Exclusive! Hudson Brothers semi-reunion!

A full 24 hours before their "official" concert reunion at the Las Vegas Fest for Beatles Fans. Mark and Brett Hudson were onstage in the Mirage Hotel grand ballroom for their first performance since 1981 with their hit, So You Are A Star, which both insist is not about Goldie Hawn, Kate Jackson or Lyle Alzado.

Exclusive! Oscar’s Two Degrees of Cloud 9

Slide over, Kevin Bacon! Cloud 9 is the new hub of Hollywood connections. And who needs Six Degrees? With Cloud 9, it’s two degrees— at the most!

Hollywood has been buzzing this week about the eerie similarities between Cloud 9 and Oscar-nominated picture, Crash. But there are even closer connections to each nominated director and every actor and actress nominated for starring and supporting roles!

When it comes to Cloud 9 and the 78th Annual Academy Awards Nominations, the links go far beyond The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, the popular parlor game in which the actor is connected to other actors he worked with in six steps or less.

Kevin is left in the dust by Cloud 9, the ensemble comedy motion picture written and produced by Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns of Frozen Pictures and Oscar winner Albert S. Ruddy (for Million Dollar Baby, directed by Clint Eastwood, director of Mystic River, which starred—Kevin Bacon).

Take any of nominee. Take two steps or less—and you land on Cloud 9!

The smart, raucous comedy premiered on Fox Home Entertainment DVD in January, thereby missing the Oscar qualification by only days and format. But a quick look at this year's crop of talented nominees shows that Cloud 9, its actors and producers, had a great influence on getting them there!

And by the way, Oscar host Jon Stewart is in the book, Tabloid Baby!

What follows is a quick run through of the more obvious Cloud 9 connections:

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) worked with Burt Reynolds in Boogie Nights.

Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow) worked with Cloud 9’s Ken Garito and Tony Danza in Crash.

Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) co-starred in Four Feathers with Kate Hudson, the niece of Cloud 9 co-writer and producer Brett Hudson.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line) showed up at the publication party for the book, Tabloid Baby (written by Cloud 9 writer and producer Burt Kearns), at the Diaghilev Bar in the Bel Age Hotel in November 1999.

David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) worked with Cloud 9 movie-stealer Gary Busey in The Firm.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Judi Dench (Mrs. Henderson Presents) starred with Anthony Hopkins in 84 Charing Cross Road. Hopkins is not actually in Cloud 9, but plays a pivotal role, as Burt Reynolds’ character breaks into “Anthony Hopkins’ house” and borrows his clothes for a wild Cabo Wabo party after DL Hughley, playing a chauffeur, drives Hopkins to the airport.

Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) is married to William H. Macy, who appeared in Boogie Nights with Burt Reynolds.

Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice) played a former stripper and performs a lap dance in Domino. Cloud 9 features strippers and a lap dance by Angie Everhart as a stripper who becomes a beach volleyball star.

Charlize Theron (North Country) appears with Mel Gibson (whose ficus tree is a key element in Cloud 9) and Anthony Hopkins in the documentary, Cinema Mil. In 2002, she was nominated for a Razzie award for her performance in Sweet November, the same year Burt Reynolds and Sylvester Stallone were nominated as Worst Screen Couple in Driven.

Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line) starred in Legally Blonde with a small dog named Moonie. Moonie appears as Gary Busey’s dog in Cloud 9.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

George Clooney (Syriana) appeared with Cloud 9 costar Paul Rodriguez on the 2003 TV special, Playboy’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. He also appeared in the TV series Baby Talk, in which Tony Danza supplied the voice of a baby.

Matt Dillon (Crash) appeared in Crash with Tony Danza and Ken Garito from Cloud 9.

Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man) played Pig Vomit in the Howard Stern movie, Private Parts. Cloud 9 star Angie Everhart dated Howard Stern.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) starred in Day After Tomorrow, which featured Ross King in the role of a TV reporter. Ross, now a weatherman and show biz correspondent for KTLA News in LA, was in the running for the role of Tommy Z in Cloud 9.

William Hurt (A History of Violence) was featured along with Burt Reynolds in the video documentary, Sex at 24 Frames Per Second, The Ultimate Journey Through Sex in Cinema.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams (Junebug) has wrapped a new movie, Standing Still, which also stars Cloud 9 starlet Marne Patterson.

Catherine Keener (Capote) starred with the late Vincent Schiavelli in Death To Smoochy. Schiavelli, of course, starred in Cloud 9 director Harry Basil’s notorious Rodney Dangerfield flick, The 4th Tenor.

Frances McDormand (North Country) appeared with Barbra Streisand and Mel Gibson at the 69th Academy Awards, when she won an Oscar for Fargo. Streisand and Gibson are referred to and the subject of important plot points in Cloud 9.

Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) appeared with Cloud 9 star Tom Arnold on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on February 22, 2005.

Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain) and Cloud 9 actor Jeff Altman, appeared as guest stars on the series Baywatch in the early 1990s.

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) co-wrote the screenplay for Tortilla Soup, which starred Paul Rodriguez, who coincidentally plays an Asian character, Wong, in Cloud 9.

Bennett Miller (Capote) attended NYU Film School. It was at NYU, where he became captivated by a poster of Gabrielle Reece on the wall of his son’s dorm room, that Albert S. Ruddy got the idea of a movie about beach volleyball. His partners Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns added the stripper element when they developed the treatment.

Paul Haggis (Crash) wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby, the film that won Albert S. Ruddy his second Best Picture Oscar. He also worked with Ruddy on the TV series, Walker, Texas Ranger.

George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck) appeared with Gary Busey in the 2002 television special, Inside The Playboy Mansion.

Steven Spielberg (Munich) directed Minority Report, which featured Paul Wesley, who plays Jackson Fargo in Cloud 9, in an uncredited role as “Nathan with bicycle.” And Cloud 9's Oscar-winning executive producer Gray Frederickson appeared as Lt. Bressler in Spielberg's 1941.

Amazed? Stunned at the power and influence of a small ensemble comedy about beach volleyball strippers? So are we.

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