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- Premiere: May 15, 2009 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Network: NBC
- Alana Stewart, a close friend of Fawcett, co-produced the special and shot the majority of the video
- Filmed with her own home video recorderNewsday: Farrah's Story (May 5, 2009)
- Her long-time companion Ryan O'Neal, who has Leukemia, participated in the videoNewsday: Farrah's Story (May 5, 2009)
- Former Charlie's Angels co-stars, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson appear in the special
- Farrah's father, Jim Fawcett, as well several of her doctors appear in the documentaryNewsday: Farrah's Story (May 5, 2009)
- Fawcett later said she regretted she was not given more privacy during her battle with cancer
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Farrah's Story is an NBC two-hour special which aired on May 15, 2009. Actress Farrah Fawcett narrated the footage, which chronicled her two and a half year battle with cancer, including her treatments in the U.S. and Germany.Newsday: Farrah's Story (May 5, 2009) Fawcett died on June 25, 2009.
A producer for the documentary, Craig Nevius, has sued a number of people involved with the film for creative control. The lawsuit was filed in Santa Monica and claimed that Fawcett's former boyfriend and current close companion Ryan O'Neal threatened him, and along with others, minimized Nevius' role on the production unbeknownst to Fawcett and against her wishes.MSNBC: Producer sues over Fawcett documentary (May 14, 2009)
Cancer
The Charlie's Angels actress was originally diagnosed with anal cancer in late 2006. After Fawcett received traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatment she went into remission in early 2007. Unfortunately, her cancer returned and Fawcett decided to pursue alternative therapy option in Germany.LA Times: Friend Says Fawcett is Fine and Still Fighting (April 6, 2009)Ryan O'Neal Speaks Out
- On May 7, 2009, People magazine published an exclusive interview with Farrah Fawcett's long-time companion, Ryan O'Neal. O'Neal discussed Fawcett's terminal cancer for the first time and told the magazine, "she stays in bed now. The doctors see that she is comfortable. Farrah is on IVs, but some of that is for nourishment. The treatment has pretty much ended."People: Ryan O'Neal's Heartbreak over Critically Ill Farrah (May 7, 2009)
- O'Neal and Fawcett had one son together, Redmond O'Neal. O'Neal told People in May 2009 that he did not immediately tell Fawcett that their son was in trouble with the law. O'Neal said that his son was afraid he will be in jail and a guard will inform him that his mother has died. O'Neal reportedly told his son that "she's rebounding. I lied to him. I lie to her. It's the best thing."People: Ryan O'Neal's Heartbreak over Critically Ill Farrah (May 7, 2009)
Redmond O'Neil was jailed on April 5, 2009. As he had feared, he was in jail when Fawcett died.NY Daily News: Farrah Fawcett's jailed son Redmond O'Neal granted pass to attend her funeral after her cancer death(June 26, 2009)
Redmond O'Neal Visit
Fawcett and O'Neal's son, Redmond O'Neal, in is jail for drug-related probation violation. O'Neal was granted a three-hour leave from jail on April 25, 2009 to visit his ailing mother at home. O'Neal can be seen in Farrah's Story climbing into bed with his sleeping mother and crying while he is in his jail-issued jumpsuit and shackles.People: Ryan O'Neal's Heartbreak over Critically Ill Farrah (May 7, 2009)Public Battle
- During her first interview with a reporter since she was diagnosed with cancer, Fawcett told Charles Ornstein of the Los Angeles Times in August 2008, "It's much easier to go through something and deal with it without being under a microscope. It was stressful. I was terrified of getting the chemo. It's not pleasant. And the radiation is not pleasant."
At the request of Fawcett, the newspaper held the interview for several months before publishing it on May 11, 2009, in advance of Farrah's Story airing on May 15, 2009. Fawcett said, "there will be a good time, and what I have to say then will be more important."LA Times: 'Under a Microscope' and Holding onto Hope (May 11, 2009)
