EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Producer Threatens To Reveal Truth About Ryan O'Neal's Relationship With Farrah
Mar. 30 2010, Published 9:45 a.m. ET
A television producer being sued by Farrah Fawcett's estate is sending a clear message to Ryan O’Neal, telling RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview that he’s prepared to expose the real story of Ryan and Farrah’s relationship – and it’s not the story Ryan tells.
Craig Nevius also warns Ryan that this is a fight the Love Story star cannot win. And Nevius gives more details about how Ryan threatened to kill him, an allegation he has made in court papers filed last week in response to a lawsuit against him by Farrah’s estate.
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"Ryan said to me, 'If you take me on, I'll kill you... I'll kill you in Farrah's life, then I'll kill you in real life,'" Craig Nevius told RadarOnline.com of the September 2008 incident.
In the new court filing, Nevius has claimed O'Neal contacted him and demanded he relinquish control of a production company he co-owned with the late Charlie's Angel.
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"Ryan doesn’t seem to realize that this is a fight he is not going to win," Nevius told RadarOnline.com.
"That’s because he still thinks he’s fighting me. The truth is, he’s fighting Farrah.
"There’s a reason she put me where she did in her life - and I don’t mean as her documentarian or producing partner. I mean as her friend.
Turning to Ryan’s version of his relationship with Farrah, Nevius has some interesting things to say.
"I know everything about what Ryan likes to refer to as their ‘Love Story’ and I am not going to sit silently by and listen to him fictionalize her life, not to mention her death,” he told RadarOnline.com.
"He’s been so focused on getting his hands on Farrah’s legacy, he doesn’t realize that he’s handed his own to me.
"Ryan should have left our film and Farrah’s intent alone."
Court papers just filed by Nevius state:
"When Mr. Nevius refused, Mr. O’Neal threatened to kill him."
It also claimed Fawcett's long-time business manager Richard Francis made similar violent threats.
It stated:
"In April 2009, Mr. Francis threatened Mr. Nevius to stay away from Ms. Fawcett under threat of physical violence, stating: '... you better not appear at Farrah’s. Because you’re gonna get your ass kicked in by Ryan! And I mean it!'”
Nevius did not report either of the threats to police.
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Nevius is suing O'Neal, Fawcett's friend Alana Hamilton-Stewart and Francis over the NBC documentary which aired last year, claiming he was shut out and that the final cut didn't adhere to the actress' wishes.
In response, the Estate's lawsuit alleged Nevius was selling out the star by giving out information and footage without her approval and that he "embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars" from the production firm.
In the latest court document, Nevius has attempted to prove his relationship with Fawcett, by detailing a handwritten holiday card she wrote to him on December 25, 2007.
Fawcett said: “You have become so special to me - my loyal friend, my protector, the strength in my life that reminds me of my strength and encourages me and never lets me forget my courage.
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"What brought us to this place I don’t know for sure but it’s a journey that I couldn’t have taken without you.
"I am so grateful to have you in my life and I am going to do my best to make sure it’s a long one.”
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Howard Weitzman, who represents Fawcett's estate and O'Neal, Stewart and Francis, told the Associated Press Nevius' latest court filing was "outrageous".
"I've read Mr. Nevius' response to our complaint which I think contains spurious and outrageous allegations," Weitzman said.
"I'm confident the truth will all come out during the course of the litigation."