My Journey with Farrah - Alana Stewart [58]
September 30, 2008
I took Ashley to Il Sole for his birthday. He brought three of his friends and it was a really lovely, quiet evening. It’s wonderful to see him sober and looking so good and seemingly in a good place. I guess I’ll always worry about him after all the years when he was using. I noticed he had started smoking again, and that scares me, of course.
October 5, 2008
Farrah called tonight. I’ve never heard her sound so low and so hopeless. She said that sometimes she felt like she couldn’t go on, that she didn’t feel like fighting anymore. It was all too much. I can’t blame her. How much can one person take? Two years of painful treatments, life-altering surgeries, and now going through these problems with her son. She told me that she’s afraid Redmond may go to prison. I know how she feels; I’ve been there, too. It’s something we talk about often: our kids. I told her that Sean just went back into rehab and how worried I’ve been about him. At least now, I told her, I can breathe a little easier, knowing he’s safe, even if it’s just for thirty days.
Photographic Insert
This was taken at a party at my house back in 1984. Farrah and I are with my daughter Kimberly and my son Sean.
Here we are at a dinner party I threw at my house for Elton John in 1987. When Elton arrived he turned to me and asked, “Where’s the piano?” to which I replied that I didn’t have one. The next morning, a delivery truck arrived in my driveway with, what else, a baby grand from Elton.
Front row (left to right): Wendy Stark, Suzanne de Passe, me, Farrah, and Tina Sinatra.
Back row (left to right): Bob Halley, David Niven Jr., Ryan O’Neal, and Elton John.
This is from New Year’s Eve 1986, during the last bash at the house I shared with Rod. I was moving out two days later, so I was ready to celebrate a new beginning with my friends.
A quiet dinner out in Malibu with good friends in 1987. From left to right: me, Ryan, Farrah, and Michael Black.
Farrah snuggling up to Ryan at my birthday party in 1989.
Birthdays were always a big deal for us, and we made sure to celebrate the milestones each year. This photo was taken at Farrah’s birthday in 1988 as she tried on one of her presents.
At the Mirabella magazine party, June 1989. From left to right: Jerry and Linda Bruckheimer, Ryan, Farrah, me, and Tina Sinatra.
Alan Carr, Tina Sinatra, Ryan, and Farrah at the home of Tina’s father, Frank Sinatra.
Me, a young Kimberly, and Farrah. Growing up, my daughter always admired Farrah’s style.
For my birthday in 1989, Suzanne de Passe threw me a party at her house. The theme was country-western, and she served Texas soul food and hired a band to play country tunes.
From left to right: me, Suzanne de Passe, Farrah, and Tina Sinatra.
Farrah truly looks overjoyed here at her birthday in 1991.
Ryan and Farrah have always been the golden couple to me.
For my birthday in 1991, Alan Carr threw me a dinner party at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. Here I am pictured with the host (far right), Farrah, and Barry Diller (second from the left).
A snapshot of just the girls at my birthday in 1991. From left to right: Dyan Cannon, me, Tina Sinatra, and Farrah.
Farrah with my daughter Kimberly.
Farrah and Ryan ringing in the holidays at my home in 1992.
Laurie Lynn Stark, a friend of ours who owns the store Chrome Hearts, took photos with this big old-fashioned Polaroid. Farrah and I stopped by the showroom and didn’t expect to be photographed—I didn’t have a stitch of makeup on. But I think it looks like we both have attitude.
Courtesy of Laurie Lynn Stark
Almost a week after I found out about Farrah’s diagnosis, Tina Sinatra and I went over to Farrah’s house to see her for the first time. Tina brought Farrah this humongous bear. Despite the chemo, our friend looked radiant and determined to fight.
Mimmo asked us to pose with him in this photo so he could hang it in his restaurant.
It was Christmas 2007 and Farrah and I whipped up our traditional