The incredible story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz began in 1940 when they tied the knot after only a few months of dating, and their legacy was cemented thanks to the comedy series I Love Lucy, which ran from 1951 to 1957. They also co-founded Desilu Productions in 1950, making Lucille the first woman to run a major television studio, with the pair producing their own shows as well as hits of the time like Mission: Impossible and the original Star Trek.
With I Love Lucy being such a ratings hit, they were even allowed to write Lucille's real-life second pregnancy with their son onto the show, with the character of Lucy Ricardo being pregnant with their first on-screen child, Little Ricky.
Now, Lucille and Desi's legacy lives on in their two children, who are following in their parents' footsteps andkeeping their parents' memories alive.
Read on to learn more about Lucille and Desi's two children, their daughter Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr…
© Getty ImagesLucie Arnaz, 74
Lucie Désirée Arnaz, now 74, was born in July 1951 to Lucille and Desi, months before I Love Lucy began airing that October.
Lucie quickly followed in her parents' footsteps, making her first on-screen appearance in her mom Lucille's show The Lucy Show.
As a teenager, she starred in Here's Lucy, playing Kim Carter for six seasons.
Lucie has continued her work on TV for decades, her latest being in a 2020 episode of the revival of Will & Grace.
© Getty ImagesContinued Success
Lucie has also appeared in films, including1980's The Jazz Singer, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination.
In 2021, Lucie also served as an executive producer for the Oscar-nominated movie, Being the Ricardos, with her brother.
Her career also extends to the stage; she made her debut in a production of Once Upon a Mattress in 1973, appearing in Broadway renditions of They're Playing Our Song (1979), Lost in Yonkers (1992), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2006), and Pippin (2014).
© Getty ImagesLucie's Family
From 1971 to 1976, Lucie was married to Philip Vandervort Menegaux. In 1980, she tied the knot with actor and writer Laurence Luckinbill, and the two live in Palm Springs.
They have three children together: Simon, 44, Joseph, 43, and Kate, 40.
Lucie is also a mom to Laurence's two sons from a previous marriage.
© Getty ImagesDesi Arnaz Jr., 72
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, now 72, was born in January 1953, with his birth written into an episode of I Love Lucy and becoming one of the most historic moments in the history of television.
Lucy's pregnancy on the show (despite the word "pregnant" never being uttered by any of the characters) was a watershed moment in the representation of family life on TV.
© Getty ImagesOn-Screen Career
He similarly followed in his parents' footsteps as an actor, appearing in The Lucy Show with his sister and parlaying it into an extensive TV and movie career, appearing in the likes of TV shows The Brady Bunch, The Streets of San Francisco, The Love-Boat, Automan, and Matlock, plus movies including Billy Two Hats (1974) and Joyride (1977).
He began his career as a drummer at the age of 12 with the band Dino, Desi & Billy, and is now the only surviving member of the trio.
© Getty ImagesDesi Jr's Family
Desi welcomed his first daughter, Julia, after a teenage relationship with model Susan Callahan-Howe when they were 15, however he didn't come to learn of his paternity until over 20 years after her birth.
He also dated Patty Duke as a teenager, but Lucille disapproved, and they broke up at the same time she became pregnant. She welcomed a son, Sean Astin, and told him Desi was his biological father, although it turned out to be the man she was married to for 13 days, Michael Tell.
Desi was also briefly engaged to actress Liza Minnelli, attending the Academy Awards with her when she won for Cabaret.
He then married actress Linda Purl in 1979, although they divorced a year later.
He then tied the knot in 1987 with Amy Laura Bargiel. They welcomed a daughter named Haley. Amy died in 2015.
