“I Love Lucy,” which starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, is one of the hallmarks of classic American sitcoms. The two actors left behind a lasting legacy with the show, which continues to air today in syndication. Recently, their daughter, Lucie Arnaz, opened up about her father.Â
According to PEOPLE, Lucie Arnaz appeared on the June 15th episode of “CBS Sunday Morning.” In the episode, she spoke about how Desi Arnaz became sober later in life. She also shared her greatest memory of the “I Love Lucy” star, which was when he publicly admitted that he had a substance abuse problem.Â
Lucie said he wasn’t someone who was very “Changeable.” She went on, “But later on, way later on, almost when it was too late, he really made some amazing progress on himself. He committed to AA meetings, treatment programs.”
Lucie Arnaz continued, “It was fantastic. My greatest memory of him to this day was him standing up [in a treatment center] in La Jolla. The guy who said, ‘I don’t air my dirty laundry in front of other people.’”
She added, “He got up and said, ‘My name is Desi and I’m an alcoholic.’ And that’s my proudest moment, that he stood up next to me and I watched him do that.”
She Says Pride Got In The Way
Lucie continued discussing Desi Arnaz’s road to sobriety. She said, “To take responsibility and try to solve it. It’s a disease, and he finally wrapped his head around that, and I was so very proud of him.”
However, she then admitted, “Unfortunately, it happened about three years too late. Because by that time, he figured out about a later, that he had lung cancer ⦠and he only lasted a year. It doesn’t matter when you get there, as long as you get there.”
Lucie then said that it wasn’t until 1985, when Desi’s second wife passed away, that things clicked for him. According to her, “He didn’t even show up when Desi [Jr.] went through recovery. He finally said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ And he asked my brother to help him.
Lucie Arnaz Is A Notable Actress
Lucie Arnaz, much like Lucille Ball, has had a long and noteworthy career in Hollywood. According to IMDB, she has more than 30 credits as an actress. Born in 1951, Lucie followed in Desi and Lucille’s footsteps and started her career in the 1960s.Â
Some of her most notable roles include “The Lucy Show,” “Here’s Lucy,” “Sons and Daughters,” and “The Lucie Arnaz Show.” Later on, she also made episodic appearances in “Will & Grace” and “Law & Order.” Notably, her episode of “Will & Grace” was from the reboot in 2020.Â
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