The Tragic, True Story Of Tatum O'Neal

Tatum O'Neal has bravely discussed her childhood and the terrible things she endured, partly because of her parents' negligence. In an interview with NBC News in 2004, the actress was asked about the assault that happened when she was six, to which she replied, "When parents are off getting drunk or getting high or taking pills in another room, and leaving little children with, you know, people who don't watch their kids, this is what happens."

She also spoke about her mother, Joanna Moore, and how her substance abuse problems lasted throughout her childhood, as she explained, "it just didn't end." Moore was not the mother figure her children needed, and when Tatum O'Neal's parents divorced, she and her younger brother Griffin would initially live with their mother on a ranch in Los Angeles. This was a terrible time in their life, as she explained, "In the grip of addiction, [my mother] had virtually abandoned me and Griffin, leaving us in squalor — starving, shoeless, and ragged, as well as beaten and abused by the men in her life."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).