ABC
Ryan O'Neal and daughter Tatum O'Neal were estranged for more than two decades.Ryan O'Neal's reconciliation with daughter Tatum O'Neal is still "a work in progress," she said.
The long-estranged family members appeared on "Good Morning America" Thursday, where they discussed the decision to share their difficult relationship on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network.
"Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals" premieres Sunday, which just so happens to be Father's Day.
"It was a way back when there weren't many paths," Ryan, 70, explained.
Tatum, 47, said she thought having "the conversation in a work setting" might help them reunite.
The two had fallen out originally when Ryan left the family in 1979 to be with the late Farrah Fawcett. Without communication, Ryan said they ultimately "drifted away from each other, unhappily of course."
In the years to come, both would experience separate low points.
Among other issues, Ryan battled leukemia in 2001 and was arrested in 2007 after allegedly fighting with Tatum's brother Griffin, though he was never prosecuted.
Tatum struggled with drugs, most recently being arrested in 2008 for allegedly buying crack cocaine. She later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.
"I feel like I've come from hell and back," the actress said of her addiction issues. "Now I'm just trying to live with as much love in my life as possible."
Following Fawcett's death in 2009, Tatum said she felt a reconciliation attempt was necessary.
"That was the last thing to help to soften my resolve and help make a relationship work and help build the bond back," she explained. "And that was before the show was even a possibility."
Since filming the documentary series, Tatum said she feels like she has a parent again. Her mom Joanna Cook Moore, O'Neal's former wife, died of cancer in 1997.
And to Ryan, Tatum is still his "little girl."
"It's challenging," he said, "but it's worth it to have her back in the fold."
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