Growing Up in the Spotlight
Desi Arnaz Jr. was a household name before he even took his first breath. Born in 1953, his arrival was front-page news, coinciding with his parents, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, welcoming a baby on their hit sitcom, I Love Lucy. From the very beginning, Desi Jr.'s life was anything but ordinary. “My whole life was in the face of the world,” Desi Jr. shares with Closer Weekly. “No matter what we did or said ended up somewhere in the press or media. I didn’t really know who I was.”
Despite the seemingly perfect life portrayed on television, Desi Jr.’s upbringing was anything but. “Lucy and Desi were both very volatile and passionate,” recalls Keith Thibodeaux, who played their son, Little Ricky, on I Love Lucy and became a close friend to Desi Jr. “They had terrible fights, and that affected him deeply. The tension at home was palpable and left a lasting impression on young Desi.”
Building a Career Amid Family Turmoil
After Lucy and Desi's divorce in 1960, Desi Jr. sought to carve out his own identity. He formed the band Dino, Desi & Billy alongside Dean Martin’s son, Dino, and friend Billy Hinsche, even scoring a few hits. “I would go on tour with them and Desi Jr. was just a crack-up,” recalls Dino’s sister, Deana Martin. “He was funny, could play the drums, and was a good singer.”
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Desi Jr. also acted alongside his sister, Lucie Arnaz, on their mom’s sitcom Here’s Lucy from 1968 to 1974. Despite these accomplishments, Desi Jr. still felt a void within himself. He turned to drugs and alcohol in an attempt to cope with the pressures of fame and the struggles of self-discovery. “I was destroying myself,” he admits. “I got tired of being me.”
The Battle with Addiction
Desi Jr.'s substance abuse not only affected his life but also deeply impacted his parents. “I can’t tell you how much his addiction hurt us,” Lucy once confided. “I tried to listen. I tried to be understanding. I tried to be tough and strong. It tore me apart.”
Finally, Desi Jr. sought help and entered rehab. “Both my mother and my father were invited to come with me, and they did, which was probably the most amazing thing that could have happened,” Desi Jr. reflects. “They were very supportive, and I think they were helped tremendously by what happened to me. It was a journey of healing for all of us.”
Finding Love and Building a Family
After high-profile relationships with older women like Patty Duke and Liza Minnelli, and a brief marriage to actress Linda Purl, Desi Jr. found lasting love with Amy in 1987. The couple met at the New Life spiritual retreat in Boulder City, Nevada. “They were skipping down the aisle holding hands” at the wedding, remembers Deana. “It was a beautiful ceremony.”
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