Growing up as the child of two famous actors can't be easy, but Desi Arnaz Jr. was the most famous baby in America even before he was born. When Lucille Ball became pregnant in real life, the pregnancy was written into I Love Lucy as well. Although Desi Arnaz Jr. didn't play himself on the show, he still pursued an acting career.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Lucille Ball's name surely rings a bell with anyone who loves classic comedy. Her hilarious
00:05sitcom I Love Lucy was revolutionary for its time, and our parents and grandparents passed
00:11their love for the showdown to many of us. Her ex-husband, Desi Arnaz, was just as famous
00:17during his prime. So it's no wonder that when they had a son, Desi Arnaz Jr. instantly became
00:23one of the most famous people in America. In fact, he first appeared on TV before he
00:28was even born, while he was still in Lucy's womb. But even though he went on to become
00:33an actor and musician himself, appearing in over 30 films and television shows, his career
00:38was always overshadowed by the fact that he was his parents' child.
00:43And that took a toll, as Arnaz Jr. grew up in the media spotlight. Denied a normal life,
00:48he instead leaned into the fame. In 1978, at the age of just 25, he told People magazine,
00:55Years ago, I was a playboy. According to Dino Martin, Arnaz Jr.'s beloved friend and son
01:01of Dean Martin, Arnaz Jr. was, quote, in love three times a week. Martin also revealed that
01:07when the two were in a band together, Arnaz Jr. played the field, and there was, quote,
01:12no shortage of groupies.
01:14As a result, Arnaz Jr. became a father himself when he was just 15, to a daughter named Julie.
01:20Her mother, Susan Howe, was a model at the time, but the fling was brief. Arnaz Jr. and
01:25his daughter didn't have a relationship until she was 25 years old, and even then it was
01:30strained.
01:31Arnaz Jr.'s womanizing was a quality he seemed to have inherited. Back in the day, Desi Arnaz
01:36Sr. had a reputation for being quite the womanizer himself. But Arnaz Jr.'s womanizing got even
01:43more attention partly due to the fact that he was in the spotlight from a young age,
01:47a symptom of having two famous parents, and partly due to the fame of the women he dated,
01:53including big stars like Patti Duke, Liza Minnelli, Kim Darby, Tina Sinatra, and more.
01:59But Arnaz Jr. didn't just struggle with fame and women. Like many child stars, he also
02:04struggled with drugs.
02:06Arnaz Jr. attributes his drug use to self-medicating. The actor grew up in a world where the media
02:11constantly told him who he was, and Arnaz Jr. says he didn't know who he was. Besides
02:17womanizing, Arnaz Jr. also seemed to inherit his substance abuse issues from his father.
02:22Keith Thibodeau, the actor who eventually played Little Ricky on I Love Lucy, told People
02:27Magazine in 1989 that Desi Sr. wasn't always much fun to be around.
02:32Desi was really a great guy when he wasn't drinking. But as kids, we'd definitely stay
02:38away from him when he was drunk.
02:40Thibodeau said that Arnaz Sr. frequently had violent, drunken outbursts, including a time
02:45he beat up Arnaz Jr.'s tutor, and another time he fired a gun off into the air because
02:50someone was hanging out on a beach that he owned. All of which just added to the difficulties
02:54Arnaz Jr. faced growing up. So, by his own admission, he began using drugs as a way to
03:00destroy himself, because he was tired of being Desi Arnaz Jr.
03:04Still, despite their issues, both of Arnaz Jr.'s parents were extremely supportive of
03:09their son. And though they were divorced, they came together one more time on his behalf.
03:15When Arnaz Jr. went into rehab, both of his parents actually went with him to make sure
03:19he got the support he needed. For Arnaz Jr., who was able to get clean with their help,
03:25it finally was a true Hollywood ending.
03:28If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please call the Substance Abuse
03:33and Mental Health Administration's 24-7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. That's 1-800-662-4357.