Lucie Arnaz Gushes About Family & Husband Of 43 Years After Overcoming ‘Hard Stuff’ She Endured During Her Parents’ Divorce

Jul 07, 2023

Lucie Arnaz was born on July 17, 1951, to her famous parents Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Just like how her parents had been incredibly famous and successful as actors, Lucie ventured into the industry herself to follow in their footsteps. She had walk-on roles on her mother’s television series “The Lucy Show,” and officially made her acting debut in the series “Here’s Lucy.” Lucie played Kim Carter, Lucy’s daughter, from 1968 until 1974.

While working with her family had first helped her find her footing in the industry, Lucie eventually branched out and found more roles on her own. 

The rising star landed roles in a number of TV movies, including “Washington Mistress,” “Death Scream” and “Who Is the Black Dahlia?” Lucie has taken television jobs on and off throughout the years, with her most recent work being in an episode of “Will & Grace” in 2020. Lucie has also starred in a plethora of theater productions, including “Annie Get Your Gun” and “They’re Playing Our Song.”

Throughout her career in the Hollywood industry, the actress was able to snag multiple award recognitions from major award-giving bodies including the Emmy Awards, where she snagged the Outstanding Informational Series award for her documentary “Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie.” 

Her mother became one of the most iconic and influential actresses in the field of entertainment and was also an inspiration to many celebrities in the succeeding years following her death in 1989. Even though Ball is no longer around to witness her daughter’s success, Lucie made sure to continue the legacy that the legendary star started.

Even though Lucie lived a colorful life in front of the cameras growing up, little did the public know that she suffered from a traumatic childhood, especially at the time when her parents got divorced. 

People who didn’t know what happened behind closed doors would think that Ball and Desi were a perfect couple at the time of their marriage, but there was something messy that happened in their relationship. Before diving into their problems, let’s take a look at their history together.

According to Closer Weekly, the couple eloped six months after they first met in 1940. Ten years after tying the knot, they were blessed with a daughter named Lucie, in 1951, and a son named Desi Arnaz Jr., two years later. 

Unfortunately, their marriage didn’t last as they decided to separate in 1960. At the time, Lucie was only 9 years old, and she still could recall what happened like it was only yesterday.

In the same interview, published in 2018, Lucie said her parents were “fighting all the time” when she and her brother were growing up, and based on her recollection, the pair’s relationship had a “lot of anger and screaming.”

“Their divorce was horrible. And then there was the alcoholism. I had preferred those things had never been there,” the actress said.

Although she clarified that she and her sibling didn’t suffer from any form of abuse, they still underwent “some pretty hard stuff.”

After the separation, the two went on to remarry different spouses — Ball tied the knot with Gary Morton and Desi with Edith Mack Hirsch. 

Despite Lucie’s unfortunate childhood as she witnessed the horrific fights of her parents, she decided to change things around when it came to her marriage. 

The actress was first married to Philip Vandervort Menegaux. They exchanged vows on July 17, 1971, but their relationship only lasted for five years as they divorced in April 1976.

Fortunately for Lucie, she found the love of her life as she remarried Laurence Luckinbill in 1980. They were blessed with three children named Simon, Joseph and Katharine. On the other hand, Laurence had children from his previous wife, Nicholas and Benjamin, which the actress loved as if they were her own.

The “Jazz Singer” star and her husband celebrated their 43rd anniversary in June 2023, and she gave fans a glimpse into their lovely relationship.

In a post on Instagram, Lucie recalled what happened four decades prior as she wrote that she woke up on an apple farm in New York and got dressed in a “lovely crocheted gown.” She later walked down the aisle with her father and tied the knot with Laurence.

It appears that the actress is still in love and happy with her lifelong partner as she continued, “15,695 days, 5 kids and three grandchildren later, I am proud to still say, ‘I do.’”

Lucie also loved sharing photos of her husband on social media as she greeted him on his birthday in November 2022. In the caption, she wrote: “What a catch! I love him so much.”

Even though her parents are long gone, the actress never forgot to pay tribute to them online as she also shared a heartwarming birthday greeting to her late father in a separate post.

“You always made sure my birthdays were celebrated, Dad, so I hope someone is celebrating yours,” she wrote.

What do you think of Lucie Arnaz’s childhood and her famous parents' messy divorce? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.