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.
The Hollywood icon practically stole everyone’s hearts in the late 1900s. She was most known for her role as Lucy Ricardo in the CBS sitcom I Love Lucy, however, she also starred in lots of other TV shows, movies, and 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. She is pictured in the show
In 1940, the acclaimed actress met Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz, while filming the stage show Too Many Girls – and they instantly fell in love. They are pictured together in 1958
They eloped in November of the same year, and went on to play husband and wife in I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957. They are pictured together in 1944
I Love Lucy, which went on for six seasons, quickly swept the entire nation – becoming the most-watched show in the United States during four of its six seasons
I Love Lucy, which lasted for six seasons in total, followed a young, middle-class housewife living in New York City. It swept the entire nation – becoming the most-watched show in the United States during four of its six seasons.
Lucille and Desi divorced in May of 1960, and she got re-married to comedian Gary Morton one year later, in 1961.
But in 1989, the world was left heartbroken when Lucille died from an abdominal aortic aneurysm at the age of 77. As for Desi, he passed away from lung cancer in 1986.
Due to her and her husband’s immense fame, their kids were instantly skyrocketed into the spotlight themselves, and became a fascination of the public at a young age.
Lucille and Desi welcomed two kids together – a girl named Lucie Arnaz and a boy named Desi Arnaz Jr. Lucille is pictured with her two children in 1954
Due to her and her husband’s fame, their kids were skyrocketed into the spotlight at a young age – but the pressure led to her son having drug problems. She is pictured with her two children
Lucille and Desi divorced in May 1960, and she got re-married to comedian Gary Morton in 1961. She is pictured with Gary in 1966
Both children went on to launch major acting careers of their own – but the pressures of having so much attention throughout his childhood unfortunately led to Lucille’s son having drug problems, and he stopped acting altogether in 2010.
But what is he, and his sister, Lucie, up to now? Lucille and Desi’s love story was recently portrayed in the new movie Being the Ricardos – which hit theaters on December 10 and was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin.
It stars Nicole Kidman as the Hollywood starlet and Javier Bardem as her ex-husband Desi.
And now that the movie is finally here, FEMAIL decided to check in on her two kids and see what they’re doing these days – more than three decades after their mom tragically passed away.
Lucille and Desi’s marriage was recently portrayed in the new movie Being the Ricardos. It stars Nicole Kidman as the starlet and Javier Bardem as her ex-husband Desi (pictured)
Now that the movie is here, FEMAIL decided to check in on her two kids and see what they’re doing these days. The family is pictured together in 1959
What is Lucie Arnaz doing now?
Lucie, now 70, was born on July 17, 1951. And just like her mom, Lucie also became an actress – making her on-screen debut in her mother’s I Love Lucy spinoff series, The Lucy Show, in 1962 (at only 11 years old). She then went on to star in her another I Love Lucy spinoff, called Here’s Lucy.
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.
She also landed her very own talk show in 1985, and launched a major 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.
She then got re-married to actor and writer Laurence Luckinbill in 1980, and they have been happily in love ever since.
Just like her mom, Lucie also became an actress – making her on-screen debut in her mother’s I Love Lucy spinoff series, The Lucy Show, in 1962
After that, she acted in an array of movies and TV shows. She also landed her very own talk show, and launched a major theater career. She is pictured as a child (left) and in 2016 (right)
Together, they welcomed three children over the years – two sons named Simon and Joseph, and a daughter named Katharine.
They, along with Laurence’s two sons from his previous marriage – Nicholas and Benjamin Luckinbill – all currently live in Palm Springs, California.
Now, she also dedicates much of her time to preserving her mom’s legacy. And it turns out, Lucille’s kids – Lucie and Desi Jr. – were actually super involved in the movie and both served as executive producers for it.
According to the writer and director, it was Lucie’s approval that really pushed him to take on the flick in the first place.
‘Lucy and Desi’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz, said to me at one point during [before I agreed to make the movie], “Listen, my mother wasn’t an easy woman. Take the gloves off,”‘ he said in a recent interview.
‘And that kind of permission really sort of catapulted me to the yes.’
She married actor Laurence Luckinbill (pictured) in 1980, and together, they welcomed three children over the years – two sons named Simon and Joseph, and a daughter named Katharine
Most recently, she guest-starred in an episode of Will & Grace. She also dedicates much of her time to preserving her mom’s legacy. She is pictured with her brother, Desi Jr. in 2011
It turns out, Lucille’s kids – Lucie and Desi Jr. – were very much involved in the movie and both served as executive producers for it. Lucie is pictured with Nicole during production
When news first came out that they were making the film, it received some backlash from longtime fans of Lucille’s.
And her daughter, Lucie, responded to the criticism through a video on Facebook. In it, she explained that the movie had her full support.
‘Here’s the deal. You should understand. We are not doing a remake of I Love Lucy,’ she said. ‘No one has to impersonate Lucy Ricardo nor do the Vitameatavegamin routine, or the chocolate factory routine or any of the silly things.
‘It’s the story of Lucille Ball, my actual mother, not Lucy Ricardo, and her husband, Dezi Arnaz, my dad, not Ricky Ricardo.
‘There will be humor in the film, but it is a story of the two of them and how they met and what went right with finding the show, what went wrong, their relationship, their love affair.’
She added: ‘Aaron has done a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life, and it’s just a little soupcon. It’s a little slice of life in their journey. It’s not the whole story.
‘It’s not a biopic from cradle to grave. It is a two-hour feature film about these two people and some of the remarkable things that they lived through.’
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 divided her estate between herself, her brother, and Lucille’s second husband, Gary.
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). He was reportedly worth $20 million when he died.
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.
What is Desi Arnaz Jr. doing now?
Even before his birth, Desi, now 68, had the eyes of the world on him. Lucille became pregnant with Desi while filming the third season of I Love Lucy, and at the time, CBS said they were not allowed to show a pregnant woman on the show.
But after consulting ‘with several religious figures,’ the network agreed to add her pregnancy into the storyline – making history at the time.
An episode aired of the show that saw Lucille’s character give birth to a baby boy, named Little Ricky, on the same night she welcomed Desi Jr. in real life. He was born on January 19, 1953.
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. The family is pictured together in 1953
Like his sister, Desi Jr. began acting at a young age – also landing roles in the shows The Lucy Show and Here’s Lucy. He is pictured in The Lucy Show in 1962
Over the years, he also appeared in various other big titles, like The Mothers-In-Law, Joyride, To Kill a Cop, Gridlock, Fake-Out, and others. He is pictured as a child (left) and in 2007 (right)
Like his sister, Desi Jr. began acting at a young age – also landing roles in I Love Lucy spinoff’s The Lucy Show and Here’s 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
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 is pictured in 1971
Over the years, he was also romantically linked to Patty Duke and Liza Minelli. He is pictured with Liza in 1973
He married a woman named Amy Laura Bargiel in 1987, and together, they welcomed a daughter, Haley. Amy sadly died from cancer in 2015. They are pictured together in 1995
Although genetic tests later revealed that Michael was actually his father, Sean and Desi Jr. developed a close relationship.
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.
Desi struggled with drug and alcohol addiction due to the pressures he faced to live up to his mom’s child in the show, Little Ricky.
‘I can still remember watching the show when I was about three and wondering who was the baby with mommy and daddy,’ he said.
‘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.
Desi struggled with drug and alcohol addiction due to the pressures he faced to live up to his mom’s child in the show, Little Ricky. He is pictured with his sister, Lucie, as a baby in 1953
Eventually, he entered into a recovery program, which he said his mom was very supportive of. Lucille is pictured with her two kids, Lucie and Devi Jr., 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.’
Eventually, he entered into a recovery program, which he said his mom was very supportive of.
‘Mom was a crucial part in my recovery. She endured family-confrontation therapy with five other families,’ he recalled.
‘Mom talked about her feelings of guilt. “I keep thinking I should have been able to prevent your problems,” she said.
‘She described how scared she’d felt when she saw me destroying myself. Suddenly, I saw how much I hurt her. I realized I wasn’t separate or isolated.’