It’s been more than three decades since acclaimed actress Lucille Ball passed away – and her two children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Jr. Arnaz, have come a long way since then.
This Hollywood legend was practically a household name in the 1920s. However, she was best known for her character as Lucy Ricardo on the CBS sitcom I Love Lucy. She has also appeared in many other television shows and movies as well as Broadway plays.
She even launched her own production company, called Desilu Productions – making her the first woman to run a major television studio – which was behind many big names like Mission: Impossible and Star Trek.
In 1940, she met Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz, while filming the stage show Too Many Girls – and it was love at first sight. They eloped in November of the same year, and famously went on to play husband and wife in I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957.
Hollywood icon Lucille Ball, who was most known for her role as Lucy Ricardo in the sitcom I Love Lucy, practically stole everyone’s hearts in the late 1900s. In the picture, she is
Desi Arnaz (Cuban bandleader) met actress Mira in 1940. The two fell in love instantly. In 1958, they are seen together.
They got married November the same year. From 1951 to 1957, they were husband and wife on I Love Lucy. The couple is pictured together at 1944
I Love Lucy lasted six seasons and quickly became the nation’s most watched TV show. It was the first of six series.
I Love Lucy, which lasted for six seasons in total, followed a young, middle-class housewife living in New York City. The show was a huge success and became the country’s most watched television program during its four seasons.
Lucille and Desi divorced in May of 1960, and she got re-married to comedian Gary Morton one year later, in 1961.
In 1989 Lucille, then aged 77, died of an abdominal aneurysm. Desi died in 1986 from lung cancer.
Her husband and she were both famous, so their children quickly rose to the top of the charts and soon became an instant hit with the public.
Lucille was pictured in 1954 with Desi and their two children, Lucie Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz Jr.
Her husband and she were famous, so their children rose to the top at an early age. However, the pressure caused her son to develop drug addictions. Pictured with her two children
Lucille and Desi split in May 1960. She was remarried to Gary Morton, a comedian in 1961. Gary is shown with her in 1966
Both of the children launched major acting careers. However, Lucille’s son developed drug addictions from being so focused on his family. He quit acting in 2010 after he was diagnosed with ADHD.
And where is Lucie’s sister Lucie? Aaron Sorkin directed the film Being the Ricardos which depicts the love story between Lucille, Desi and their relationship.
It stars Nicole Kidman as the Hollywood starlet and Javier Bardem as her ex-husband Desi.
FEMAIL decides to look in on FEMAIL’s two children now that her movie has finally arrived. This is more than 30 years after the tragic passing of their mom.
In the recent movie Being the Ricardos, Lucille and Desi were shown in their marriage. Javier Bardem plays Desi’s ex-husband, and Nicole Kidman stars as Nicole Kidman (pictured).
FEMAIL was able to see the movie and check in with her kids. Family pictured in 1959
Lucie Arnaz: What are you doing right now?
Lucie (now 70) was born July 17, 1951. Lucie, like her mother, became an actress. She made her screen debut on the I Love Lucy spinoff series The Lucy Show in 1962, at just 11 years of age. After that, she was cast in Here’s Lucy which was her second I Love Lucy spinoff.
After that, she acted in an array of movies and TV shows, including Who Is the Black Dahlia?, Death Scream, Billy Jack Goes to Washington, The Jazz Singer, The Mating Season, Washington Mistress, Second Thoughts, Who Gets the Friends?, Sons and Daughters, Abduction of Innocence, Down to you, Wild Seven, The Pack, Smocking Nonsmoking, Henry & Me, and more.
Her own talk show was also created in 1985 and she launched an extensive theater career. Most recently, she guest-starred in an episode of Will & Grace.
As for her love life, Lucie married actor Philip Vandervort Menegaux in 1971, but they divorced five years later.
After her divorce, she married Laurence Luckinbill (a writer and actor) in 1980. Since then they’ve been in love happily.
Lucie, just like her mom was an actor. She made her screen debut on the Lucy Show in 1962, as part of her mother’s I Love Lucy series.
She subsequently acted in a variety of TV and movie shows. Her own talk-show was also created and she launched her theater career. In 2016, she was pictured in her childhood (left), and again as an adult (right).
Over the years, three children were born to them together: Simon, Joseph, Katharine.
They, along with Laurence’s two sons from his previous marriage – Nicholas and Benjamin Luckinbill – all currently live in Palm Springs, California.
She now devotes a lot of her time and energy to the preservation of her mother’s legacy. It turns out that Lucille’s children, Lucie Jr. and Desi Jr. were both involved in this movie. They served as the executive producers.
The writer and director both claim that Lucie’s approval was what pushed them to do the film.
Lucie Arnaz was Lucie’s daughter. She said it to me one time during the Desi and Lucy’s divorce. [before I agreed to make the movie]Listen, my mother wasn’t an easy lady. He said, “Take the gloves off.”‘ in an interview.
“And that type of permission really kind of catapulted my to the yes.”
Laurence Luckinbill was her husband. They had three children together – two sons, Simon and Joseph, as well as a daughter, Katharine.
Most recently, she guest-starred in an episode of Will & Grace. She is also devoted to the preservation of her mother’s legacy. In 2011, she is shown with Desi Jr., her brother.
Lucille was pictured with Nicole during production. Lucie and Desi Jr., Lucille’s kids were both involved in the movie. They also served as executive producers. Lucie with Nicole in production
It was a controversial decision that Lucille’s fans had made when the news broke about their film making.
And her daughter, Lucie, responded to the criticism through a video on Facebook. She explained in the video that she was fully supportive of the film.
‘Here’s the deal. This is what you need to know. “We are not doing I Love Lucy a remake,” she stated. She said, “No one must impersonate Lucy Ricardo or do the Vitameatavegamin and chocolate factory routines. Or any other ridiculous things.
It’s not the story of Ricky Ricardo but Lucille Ball.
“There will not be much humor in this film. But it’s a story about them, how and when they met.
“Aaron has done an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. It’s not a lot, but it is a small soupcon. It’s a little slice of life in their journey. But it’s only a small part of their story.
It’s not about a biography from grave to grave. This is a feature-length film that lasts two hours about the lives of these people, and their remarkable experiences.
After her mom, who was reportedly worth $40 million, passed away, Lucie was named the executor of her trust – the Lucille Ball Morton Trust.
She shared her property between her brother, Lucille, and Gary, the second husband.
Desi Jr. and Lucie also inherited most of their father’s estate after his passing (he left $250,000 to his mom, but the rest was split between the kids). According to reports, he was worth about $20 million upon his death.
Lucie used some of the money she got from her mom to purchase a one million dollar 1,014-square-foot condo in 2007 located near Columbus Circle in New York City.
How is Desi Arnaz Jr. currently doing?
Desi (now 68) was the focus of all eyes from the beginning. Lucille fell pregnant while filming I Love Lucy’s third season. CBS at that time said it was not permitted to feature a pregnant woman.
The network, however, agreed to feature her pregnancy after having spoken with’multiple religious leaders’. This made history.
A special episode of the series aired that featured Lucille giving birth to Little Ricky (her character), the night Desi Jr. was born in real life. On January 19, 1953, he was born.
Little Ricky went on to become a huge part of the series, and was played by Keith Thibodeaux.
Lucille became pregnant with Desi while filming I Love Lucy, and she made history when she starred as the first pregnant woman in a CBS show. In 1953, the family was pictured together.
Desi Jr., like his younger sister, began acting as a child. He also landed roles on the television shows Here’s Lucy and The Lucy Show. In 1962, he is seen in The Lucy Show.
His appearances in other large titles such as Joyride (left), To Kill a Cop (right), Gridlock, Fake-Out and many others have been his over time. In 2007 (left), and as a young child (right).
Desi Jr. started acting like his older sister at an early age. Desi Jr. also got roles on The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy and I Love Lucy.
Over the years, he also appeared in various other big titles, like The Carol Channing Show, The Mothers-In-Law, Red Sky at Morning, Voyage of the Yes, She Lives!, Marco, Billy Two Hats, Having Babies, Flight to Holocaust, Joyride, Black Market Baby, To Kill a Cop, A Wedding, Gridlock, Fake-Out, Automan, The Mambo Kids, and others.
His last acting role was the movie Aunt Heather’s Magical Kidchen, which came out in 2010.
Besides acting, he also played the drums in the band Dino, Desi, & Billy for many years.
In 1968, when he was only 15, he and his girlfriend at the time, Susan Callahan-Howe – a model who was also 15 – welcomed a baby girl together named Julia Arnaz.
He later made headlines for his relationship with actress Patty Duke – who he dated when he was 17 and she was 23. Due to their age difference, their relationship got a lot of scrutiny from the media.
After they broke up, Patty moved on with writer and music producer Michael Tell, but when she welcomed a baby boy, who she named Sean Astin, nine months later, she claimed the baby was Desi Jr.’s.
Besides acting, he also played the drums in the band Dino, Desi, & Billy for many years. He is pictured with the band in 1965
When he was 15 years old, he married Susan Callahan Howe, who at that time was a model and welcomed their baby girl, Julia Arnaz, in 1968. Pictured in 1971
Patty Duke, Liza Minelli and others romantically connected him over the years. Pictured with Liza in 1973
Amy Laura Bargiel, his wife, was he who married him in 1987 and had their daughter Haley. Amy was tragically killed by cancer in 2015. In 1995, they are shown together.
Although Michael later proved to be his biological father, Sean and Desi Jr. formed a strong bond.
Desi Jr. also had a brief fling with Liza Minnelli, and it’s rumored that his mom didn’t approve of their romance.
In 1979, he married actress Linda Purl – however, they got divorced a year later. He then married a woman named Amy Laura Bargiel in 1987, and together, they welcomed a daughter, named Haley. Unfortunately, Amy died from cancer in 2015.
Due to the pressures that he was under to be Little Ricky’s son, Desi developed a problem with alcohol and drug addiction.
He said, “I still recall watching that show as a child and being curious about who the baby was with mama and dad.”
‘When my parents said it was me, I was confused, because I knew it wasn’t. I had this identity problem, and it wasn’t helped by people calling me Little Ricky, a name I learned to despise.
Due to the demands he was under to be Little Ricky’s mother, Desi developed a problem with alcohol and drug addiction. As a baby, he is shown with Lucie his sister in 1953
He was eventually accepted into a rehabilitation program. Lucille is shown with Devi Jr. and Lucie in 1984.
‘I remember wanting rather desperately to be better at something – anything – than the boy who played Little Ricky. For a while, it seemed as if everything in life was connected to Little Ricky’s.’
He entered a program of recovery, and he says his mother was supportive.
“Mom played a critical role in my recovery,” he stated. He recalled that she had to endure family-confrontation treatment with five families.
Mom talked about guilt feelings. She said, “I think I could have prevented your problems.”
‘She described how scared she’d felt when she saw me destroying myself. I suddenly realized how badly I had hurt her. I realized I wasn’t separate or isolated.’