Ryan O'Neal: 'I suppose I was' a bad parent

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Ryan O'Neal, longtime on-again, off-again companion of Farrah Fawcett, has released a new memoir Tuesday, May 1 titled "Both of Us: My Life With Farrah." He appeared on "Today" Tuesday to talk about the book and also his relationship with both Farrah and his three grown children, Tatum, Griffin (from a previous relationship) and Redmond (his son with Farrah).

When asked by Matt Lauer if he was a bad parent, O'Neal candidly says, "Looks like it, doesn't it? Sure looks like it. I suppose I was."

Lauer also recounts a story from the memoir where O'Neal writes of a time he and Farrah were fighting and then six-year-old Redmond came into the room threatening to cut himself with a knife if they didn't stop.

"He couldn't stand it. It stopped us, I must say. We put a stop to that. And we moved the knives up higher, harder to reach," says O'Neal.

As for the memoir itself, O'Neal says, "I still felt she was nearby when I wrote this. She was close ... She loved me. I couldn't write a book if she hadn't."

We have posted excerpts from the book here. "Both of Us" is on bookshelves and available for download now.