Kevin McEnroe, son of Tatum O'Neal and John McEnroe, told People his mother has had a drug problem for as long as he can remember. He is seven years sober, and O'Neal says she has been sober for two years while recovering from her stroke.
Kevin McEnroe, Tatum O'Neal's son, said in a People interview that his mother has had a drug problem for as long as he can remember. Kevin McEnroe, 40, is a writer and the eldest child of actress Tatum O'Neal and tennis great John McEnroe. His parents separated in 1992, and O'Neal relinquished custody in 1998 as her drug use worsened.
Sobriety and recovery
Tatum O'Neal told People she has been sober for two years and continues recovering from her stroke. McEnroe is seven years sober after his own battle with drug abuse. He writes about his story, including his family's history of addiction, in his Substack newsletter, "Serenity Side Down". He has also written there about O'Neal's addiction.
Liver failure in 2019
In October 2019, a woman he was dating urged McEnroe to seek medical help, and he spent about a month in the hospital with liver failure. He says doctors told him he would probably need a transplant, but he stabilized enough to go to treatment.
The 2020 stroke
In May 2020, his sister Emily called to say their mother had suffered a stroke and was in a coma after an overdose. McEnroe was in drug rehab at the time. He became O'Neal's medical proxy and made difficult decisions about her care.
McEnroe married actress Fern Cozine in 2025 and is writing a memoir.
