Ryan O'Neal Says His Son Never Recovered From Farrah Fawcett's Death

Ryan O'Neal is speaking out about his son's recent drug arrest.

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Redmond O'Neal, 26, was arrested for drug possession earlier this week and on Thursday, pleaded not guilty to two charges: felony possession of heroin and being a felon in possession of a handgun.

"He never recovered from the loss of his mother," Ryan O'Neal told People after the hearing at Los Angeles' Superior Court.

Redmond O'Neal's mother is the late Charlie's Angels actress Farrah Fawcett, who died in 2009. He was arrested on Tuesday when police found heroin and marijuana in his car after a traffic stop in Santa Monica. He was not under the influence of drugs, police determined at the time. Later, police found a handgun in his apartment.

"He's an addict," said Redmond O'Neal's half-sister Tatum, who has had her troubles with her father with the reconciliation depicted on OWN's Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals. "Addicts keep using until they want to stop. We're praying for him every day."

On Thursday, the judge told the youngest O'Neal that he needed "tough love" and held him without bail until the next hearing, set for Aug. 24.

O'Neal's attorney argued, "All of this is because of narcotics. What we have here is a relapse. ... It's the nature of the disease," hoping for some leniency in the case.