Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal arrested for buying crack cocaine

Drug Arrest Revives Old Troubles for Tatum O'Neal
Drug arrest resurrects old troubles for Tatum O'Neal; prosecutors recommend treatment
By SAMUEL MAULL and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press Writers
NEW YORK June 2, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press

New York police say the Oscar-winning actress has been arrested for buying crack cocaine on Manhattan's Lower East Side Sunday June 1, 2008.

Tatum O'Neal swore she was done with drugs. The Oscar-winning former child actress proclaimed she was sober as she promoted her 2004 tell-all memoir, cobbled her acting career back together and even offered advice to misbehaving pop star Britney Spears.

O'Neal's arrest Sunday on charges of buying cocaine in her gritty-chic downtown Manhattan neighborhood suggests her struggle with addiction may not be over.

O'Neal, 44, looked tired and said nothing as she was arraigned Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. The daughter of screen star Ryan O'Neal entered no plea and was released without bail until a July 28 court date.

Prosecutors are recommending drug treatment for the actress, who detailed her dependency on heroin and cocaine in her best-selling memoir, "A Paper Life."

Her lawyer, Robert Marinelli, declined to comment Monday. Her manager and publicist did not immediately return telephone calls after her court appearance, while her agent's office referred calls to her publicist.

The arrest was another low point in a life that has included many. Her childhood, she has said, was a Hollywood horror show. Then came years of drug abuse, public feuding with her father and a searing child custody fight with her ex-husband, tennis star John McEnroe. Her acting career vaporized.

But a determined O'Neal rebuilt it in recent years, telling The New York Times last year that she called and e-mailed her agent daily and accepted every role offered. She appeared in independent films, played guest roles on such shows as "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and "8 Simple Rules ... for Dating My Teenage Daughter" and took a spin on "Dancing with the Stars."

Her efforts solidified into a recurring role as hard-drinking Maggie Gavin in the FX cable channel's television drama "Rescue Me." The show is now in production for its fifth and sixth seasons.

Show producer Sony Pictures Television said the actress has shot one episode for the upcoming season and is scheduled to appear in several more, but Sony Pictures declined to comment further.