During her prime, Lucille Ball was one of the most famous celebrities around, thanks to her hugely popular sitcom I Love Lucy. However, behind the scenes, she and her husband Desi Arnaz had a troubled relationship and struggled to raise their two children. Lucie and Desi Jr. were both forced into the spotlight at a very young age as a result.
Although Lucille Ball passed away in 1989, over 30 years later, people are still astonished by her legacy. In the Oscar-nominated film Being the Ricardos, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Ball’s legendary status was revived. Now, once again, the spotlight has been turned on Lucie and Desi Jr., Ball’s two children, and people are wondering what life was like for them growing up with famous parents.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz first met on the set of Too Many Girls in 1940, when she was a young starlet. They married in November 1940 after falling in love. From 1951 to 1957, they played the iconic couple in I Love Lucy. Unfortunately, their relationship was tumultuous, and the two filed for divorce in 1960. In 1961, Lucille Ball would marry comedian, Gary Morton.
The Joneses’ two children led full, active lives for themselves. Lucie followed in her mother’s footsteps and became an actress. She appeared on The I Love Lucy Spinoff Series as Lucy Ricardo. Her career took off after she made her on-screen debut in the spinoff series; she was subsequently cast in several television programs and movies. For a while, she also hosted a talk show and acted on stage at the theater.
Lucie tied the knot with actor Laurence Luckinbill in 1980 and gave birth to three children: Simon, Joseph, and Katharine.
Lucille’s pregnancy with her son, Desi Jr., made history as she was the first woman to appear on a CBS show while pregnant. This occurred during filming for I Love Lucy.
Desi Jr., Lucille Ball’s son, battled alcoholism and drug addiction while he was young. Since he could never live up to the legend of his mother’s child on her sitcom, Little Ricky, Desi resorted to using drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism.
According to Daily Mail, Desi Jr. followed his sister into acting and got more gigs as he progressed. Later, he starred in films like The Mothers-In-Law, Joyride, To Kill a Cop, Gridlock, and Fake-Out.
Desi Jr. had a son with his fifteen-year-old girlfriend Susan Callahan-Howe in 1968, then left her for Patty Duke and Liza Minelli.
Desi and Lucie were executive producers on Being the Ricardos, for which they also served as creators.
