From WENN.com

The screen veteran has received much public backlash for his hands-off relationship with his kids as three of his four children - Tatum, Redmond and Griffin - have struggled with drug and legal issues over the last several years.

O'Neal recently opened up about his guilt and failure as a dad during an interview with U.S. breakfast show Today earlier this month (May12), but his sports broadcaster son Patrick O'Neal disagrees - and has come forward in a bid to help repair his dad's public persona.

During an appearance on U.S. news show Access Hollywood on Wednesday (09May12), the 44 year old said, ""I'm real proud of my family... I'm real proud to say that Ryan O'Neal is my father and I'm real proud of my childhood and growing up how I grew up. The perception of my father as a bad parent (is something)... I have to argue...

""I have never stepped forward (to talk about this), I am a pretty busy guy... (but) I'm not on the payroll of my father so I'm here on my own volition to support my father and tell him that I love him.""