Background
O'Neal was born in Los Angeles to actor Ryan O'Neal and his first wife, the late actress Joanna Moore (born Dorothy Joanne Cook).
O'Neal was born in Los Angeles to actor Ryan O'Neal and his first wife, the late actress Joanna Moore (born Dorothy Joanne Cook).
He has one sister, Tatum, and two half brothers, Patrick and Redmond. In 1986, Griffin O'Neal had a boating accident in Annapolis, Maryland that took the life of film producer Gian-Carlo Coppola. O'Neal, who was piloting the boat, tried to pass between two other boats, unaware that they were connected by a towline.
O'Neal barely had time to duck, but Coppola was struck by the towline and killed. Prior to the accident, O'Neal was being directed by Francis Ford Coppola (Gian-Carlo's father) in the film Gardens of Stone, and afterward O'Neal asked to be replaced in the film. He was convicted of negligently operating a boat, and received an 18-day jail sentence for not completing community service.
In August 2011, while driving, O'Neal collided with another car. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison for driving under the influence of drugs, in connection with that incident.