'I Love Lucy' Star Lucille Ball's 2 Kids' Lives Turned Out Completely Different after Finding Fame

• "I Love Lucy" star Lucille Ball had two children with her ex-husband Desi Arnaz, and her kids' lives were shaped differently.
• Lucille felt she was guilty of not preventing her son's problems.
• Lucille Ball's kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids keep her legacy alive.

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were some of the best-known actors during the '50s. Many people looked up to their relationship and were fans of their sitcom "I Love Lucy." They also welcomed two children together.

The couple was happy and in love when they welcomed Lucie Arnaz Jr. and Dezi Arnaz Jr., but their happiness did not translate into every area of their lives as Ball felt she had failed as a mother in some areas.

It has been over three decades since Ball passed away. At the time of her death, she was survived by her son and daughter, who were named after their parents. Ball was best known for playing Lucy Ricardo in "I Love Lucy."

In 1940, Arnaz and Ball met while filming "Too Many Girls." They both admitted that it was love at first sight. The couple eloped the same year they met and went on to star in "I Love Lucy" together from 1951 to 1957.

From their marriage came two children, who, despite being very young at the time, also gained immense fame due to their parents being household names. The children became firm favorites of "I Love Lucy" fans worldwide.

What Happened to Lucille Ball's Daughter?

Ball and Arnaz's daughter, Lucie, was born in 1951, the same year her parents' sitcom began. Lucie also became an actress and had her debut role at 11 years old on her mother's "I Love Lucy" spinoff show, "The Lucy Show."

She then starred in another "I Love Lucy" spinoff before becoming more independent in her career. She has had many roles in successful films and television shows, like "Who Is The Black Dahlia?" and "Washington Mistress."

In 1985, Lucie had her own talk show, and soon after, she began a theater career. While her professional life was nothing if not successful, her personal side was just as exciting. She married Philip Vandevort Menegaux, a fellow actor, in 1971. However, they divorced five years after they exchanged vows.

In 1980, the actress finally found lasting happiness when she married Laurence Luckinbill, an actor and writer. The couple welcomed three children: sons Joseph and Simon and daughter Katharine.

Luckinbill also had two sons from a previous marriage, Nicholas and Benjamin. Lucie and Luckinbill managed to blend their families well, and they all got along well and lived near each other.

Now that all her children are adults and she has more time to herself, Lucie is focused on preserving her mother's legacy. When she passed, Lucie was tasked with dividing up her late mother's estate. The estate was worth $40 million.

Lucie divided the estate between herself, her brother, Desi Jr., and her mother's second husband, Gary Morton. Ball's children also received most of their father's estate when he died. His estate was worth about $20 million.

Lucie used $1 million of her mother's estate to purchase a home in Columbus Circle, New York City. It is unknown what she used the rest of the money on. Lucie is now a happy mother and grandmother, making Ball a great-grandmother.

What Happened to Lucille Ball's Son?

While his sister's life has been relatively happy and prosperous, Desi Arnaz Jr.'s life has not been easy. Desi made history before he was even born, as Ball's pregnancy with him was the first to be shown on television.

Desi also began his acting career at a young age in spinoffs of his parents' show. He then has roles in productions like "Red Sky at Morning" and "To Kill a Cop." He was also a member of a band called Dino, Desi, and Billy.

In 1968, when Desi and his then-girlfriend, model Susan Callahan-Howe, were both 15, news broke that the young girl was pregnant with Desi's child. The pair welcomed a daughter named Julia.

Two years later, Susan and Desi ended their relationship, but he again made headlines for his new love interest. Desi was 17 at the time and was dating 23-year-old Patty Duke. The age difference between the pair made for much judgment from the media.

Although Patty and Desi's relationship did not last either, she welcomed a baby boy after they broke up and then said that she had fallen pregnant with Desi's child. The baby was named Sean Astin. Genetic tests later revealed that Patty's new beau, Michael Tell was the father.

Despite Desi being told he was not the father of Patty's child, he and Sean developed a close bond. By 1979, Desi finally settled down with Linda Purl. Yet their relationship ended in divorce a year later.

In 1987, Desi seemed to find lasting love with Amy Laura Bargiel. The couple welcomed a daughter named Haley together. Amy later passed away from cancer in 2015. Desi faced his own demons.

He had substance abuse issues because he felt pressure to match up with his mother's son on the show, Little Ricky. Talking about his thoughts on the topic, he said:

"I can still remember watching the show when I was about three and wondering who was the baby with mommy and daddy."

He said his parents tried to tell him that the boy on the show was him, but that was confusing for him as he knew it wasn't him. He also admitted that it was made worse by strangers calling him "Little Ricky," which he said was a name he came to hate.

Desi confessed that he wanted to be better at things than Little Ricky, but because of this pressure, he turned to drugs and alcohol. He then turned to a recovery program to overcome the addiction.

He talked about how his substance abuse issues affected his parents and said that his mother was a large part of why he recovered. He 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."

Desi admitted that Ball thought she should have been able to help her son avoid his problems and felt like she'd failed as a parent because she could not stop him from destroying his life.

Now, Desi is living a happier life after having recovered. He now shares a lovely relationship with his sister after it was negatively affected by his ideals and substance dependency issues. He has found his happy ending.