LOS ANGELES (AP) — The University of Texas system and Ryan O’Neal are sparring over ownership of an Andy Warhol portrait of the actor’s longtime companion, Farrah Fawcett.
The system’s board of regents sued O’Neal in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday, asking a judge to order the Oscar-nominated actor to turn over the painting. The portrait is one of two that Warhol made of the Charlie’s Angels star and the university claims the actress bequeathed it to their Austin, Texas campus.
O’Neal’s spokesman Arnold Robinson blasted the lawsuit in a statement, saying the university has known for more than a year that the actor has painting.
“Ryan O’Neal’s friendship with Andy Warhol began 10 years prior to his meeting Farrah Fawcett,” Robinson wrote. “When Ryan introduced Andy to Farrah, Warhol chose to complete two portraits of her, one for Ms. Fawcett and one for Mr. O’Neal. Mr. O’Neal looks forward to being completely vindicated in the courts.”