Sean McEnroe, son of John McEnroe and Tatum O’Neal, was given his mother’s last name last year instead of his father’s when he was born.
Why did Sean McEnroe change his name? Reason behind Sean O Neal revealed
“I changed my name to Sean O’Neal – it’s nothing against my dad but I wanted to have my own path that is not so directly linked to him because it’s just the way people have [always] perceived me,” O’Neal, 28, tells PEOPLE. “I just wanted to forge my own identity.”
O’Neal, a photographer living in Los Angeles, hopes that his first solo exhibition, which opens on June 4 at Hollywood’s LAM Gallery and features images he captured in Nepal following the earthquake, would inspire people to start appreciating him for his work rather than just his name.
O’Neal was taken aback by the backlash after he launched a GoFundMe page in March to support his efforts.
He says, “I’ve seen well-known singers and bands use GoFundMe to seek money for new projects. “
