Ryan O’Neal Does a 180 and Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge

In a turnaround from his original stance, Ryan O’Neal pleaded guilty to a felony charge of drug possession in a courtroom Friday.

The actor agreed to enter an 18-month drug deferment program, which if successfully completed and other requirements, the case against him will be dismissed.

Ryan’s lawyer Mark Werksman told People Magazine: “Ryan was anxious to move on with his life with privacy and dignity and that’s what we’re trying to do here today.”

Werksman previously denied that Ryan uses drugs saying:

“The drugs found in Ryan’s bedroom were Redmond’s. He had confiscated them from Redmond. He was trying to keep them away from his son.”

Both men were arrested Sept. 17 at the actor’s Malibu home following a probation sweep in which deputies found methamphetamines. A vial of the drug was found in Ryan’s bedroom, police said.

O’Neal, 67, did appear in Malibu, Calif., court and when asked by a prosecutor how he would plea, he replied in a low raspy voice, “guilty.”

Also present was his son Redmond, 23, whose pending drug case was postponed to a later date. Redmond was about two months into a three-year probation sentence for DUI and possessing heroin and crystal meth, when this new drug bust occurred. It’s been a family affair for the O’Neals. Tatum O’Neal was arrested on June 2nd for trying to score some crack and coke from a vagrant street dealer, but got off with a mild slap on the hand.