Tatum O'Neal's sobriety journey has come into the public eye as her son, Kevin McEnroe, paid an emotional Mother's Day tribute.
The 39-year-old American author detailed his rocky relationship with his mom due to her drug addiction, reflecting how her dangerous habits affected their relationship.
In Mother's Day special edition titled Dear Tatum, Kevin revealed his early memories of Tatum's addiction struggles, writing, "When I was little, you were my mom, until your boyfriend gave you heroin."
"You were my mom when you were clean, between rehabs, but then sometimes you were Tatum, too. I used to think Tatum took my mom away. Now I think Mom and Tatum just wanted something different. I think Mom and Tatum didn’t always get along," the publisher added.
Kevin further recalled that he identified his mother as "Tatum" because, due to her sobriety journey, he separated her identity as a mother; however, now he mostly calls her "Mama."
This emotional letter came a day before the world celebrates International Mother's Day, on Sunday, May 10th.
For the unversed, Tatum O'Neal, who rose to prominence with movies like Paper Moon, Little Darlings, and others, has struggled with substance use for decades.
