O'Neal blames dog death for relapse

Rex Features

Tatum O'Neal says she relapsed and purchased crack cocaine because her pet dog Lena recently died.

The actress claimed the Scottish terrier's death "set her off" and partly explained her arrest for drugs possession this week.

"There's no excuse for what I did," said O'Neal. "But I lost my Scottish terrier Lena three weeks ago. And that seemed to set me off.

"She got old. My daughter and I had to put her down. It was too horrible for words."

O'Neal was arrested on Sunday after police spotted her exchanging money with a man near her New York home. She faces trial on July 28.