What Happened to Desi Arnaz Jr. After He Put His Acting Career on Hold?

Desi Jr.’s Start in Life

Desi Arnaz Jr. is the famous son of the late Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, who appeared together on “I Love Lucy.” The show is significant in Desi Jr.’s life as his mother became pregnant with him while starring in it.

On January 19, 1953, viewers watched as Lucille’s character, Lucy Ricardo, gave birth to a son, Ricky Ricardo, on the sitcom. Desi Jr., now 77, once revealed that the episode got shot four months before his birth. The show’s writers had already decided that Lucille’s child on the sitcom would be a boy.

The actress’ real-life son was born on the morning of that Monday while the episode of his birth aired that same night. Clearing the confusion about his birth, Desi Jr. explained, “Because it was in all the newspapers the next day, many people thought that I was born on the air.”

Viewers continued believing that Lucille’s son started his life playing the role of Ricky, but he never did. Instead, several different actors played the character over the years. After “I Love Lucy” concluded a few years later, Desi Jr.’s mother moved on to star in the sitcom “Here’s Lucy.”

Lucille was described as the queen of television comedy, having appeared in series like “The Lucy Show.” In 1986, she made her comeback by starring in the ill-fated “Life With Lucy.” Three years later, she died from cardiac arrest after having open-heart surgery.

She was 77 when she left Desi Jr. an orphan since his father passed on a few years before. Although Lucille’s child did get into acting, he had personal struggles that caused him to put his career on hold. One of his issues was addiction.

Struggling with Addiction

Desi Jr. became famous at age 14 as part of a pop rock band, “Dino, Desi, and Billy,” that released the track “I’m a Fool.” He got into acting by co-starring alongside his older sister, Lucie Arnaz, in “Here’s Lucy” from 1968 until 1974. In 1970, he got into film acting by featuring in “Red Sky at Morning.”

His role earned him a Golden Globe Award for the Most Promising Newcomer, and he also starred in “Billy Two Hats.” By age 29, things were quite difficult for Desi Jr. with him describing himself as “dangerously close to the terminal stage of (substance) abuse.”

He felt empty inside and tried self-medicating with alcohol and abusing substances. Lucille’s son confessed his distress saying, “I was destroying myself,” and added, “I got tired of being me.” His substance abuse affected his parents badly too.

Lucille once said, “I can’t tell you how much his addiction hurt us.” She admitted that she tried listening and being understanding to her son. The actress also tried to be strong and tough during that challenging time but “It tore me apart.”

After his parents divorced when he was six, he maintained a relationship with his father. When his son turned 16, Desi Sr. followed a family tradition of giving him a formal letter. The letter, which saved the young actor’s life, marked Desi Jr.’s transition from being a boy into a man.

The older man urged his son to simplify his life and “learn from the difficulties.” Lucille’s ex-husband told their son, “The purpose in life is not the temporary rewards but a deeper lasting happiness.”

His father’s advice came in handy for Desi Jr., who finally voluntarily “detoxed” in a medical treatment program. Lucille and her ex-husband got invited to go with their son, and they did. Their lastborn child fondly recalled that it “was probably the most amazing thing that could have happened.”

He recalled how supportive they were, and what happened to him helped them tremendously. Going into rehabilitation helped Desi Jr. to recover and “The Mambo Kings” producers later asked him to star as his late father. Desi Sr. passed away in 1986, but his son declined to play the role.

At the time, his mother had just died, and he felt the timing wasn’t quite right, but he later reconsidered. Between his struggles with substance abuse, Desi Jr. also had a busy romantic life.

Being a Playboy

At age 25, Desi Jr. confessed that years before, he used to be a playboy. From age 13, he thought he was in love despite not knowing what it was. But, by 25, his attitude was, “If it feels good, hang in there,” adding, “I guess I’m a playman.”

His playboy days got covered publicly. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School but chose not to go to college. At age 17, he dated 23-year-old Patty Duke. In his middle twenties, Desi Jr. called Patty a “friend” and refused to discuss their past.

His sister revealed that Patti had loved her brother but was quite unstable at the time. She was so into him that she chased him all over the country until he ended their relationship. He met Liza Minnelli at age three when she opened his bedroom door and introduced herself.

Two years after dating Patti, he ran into her in Las Vegas after Cabaret, and they started a relationship when she was 26. For 18 months, the couple lived together, but according to him, they always traveled. Traveling that much was hard on their relationship.

Liza ended up leaving Desi Jr. for Peter Sellers. After Sellers, and before the actress separated from her second husband, Jack Haley Jr., she saw Desi Jr. in New York. Speaking of his bond with Liza, Lucille’s son said they now know each other better because they know themselves better.

He also had relationships with Kim Darby, and Tina Sinatra, and tried seeing skater Dorothy Hamill. His and Dorothy’s only date backfired when he introduced her to Dino Martin. Desi Jr.’s friend and former pop-rock bandmate became her doubles partner, with the former saying, “I wasn’t jealous then,” but “now I am.”

Dino recalled, “Desi was in love three times a week in those days.” During the time they had their band, Dino was the “wild man,” Billy Hinsche was the best musician, and Lucille’s son was “the lover of the group.”

Dino said they didn’t have a shortage of groupies who were “10 to 12 years old.” Despite having a busy love life when he was younger, the actor eventually settled down and had a family.

Settling Down

In 1992, Desi Jr. was 38 when he revealed that he’d finally settled down. He lived in Nevada and had remarried a wife who was a dance teacher. The couple shared a 14-year-old daughter from his wife’s first marriage.

The actor appeared to have calmed down drastically and worked for the New Life Foundation, a nonprofit spiritual development program, as its national spokesperson. On occasion, when he felt they were worth it, he did theater work and movies.

But he clarified that he wasn’t chasing after a career as he focused on putting back old-fashioned values in his life. He was more interested in living a simple life. But Desi Jr. also had a biological child, Julia Howe, from a fling with ex-model Susan Callahan-Howe.

Desi Jr.’s Tumultuous Relationship with His Daughter

Since childhood, Julia’s mother said her father is the child of Hollywood Royalty. When her grandmother, Lucille, died, she decided to handle matters on her own. She got a subpoena to get a DNA test, and at age 20, the procedure got done and returned with a result of 99.97%.

Soon after, the father and daughter started having a “beautiful relationship.” The star’s daughter knew he didn’t have to create a relationship with her, but felt when she was 18 and over, he could’ve acknowledged her as his, yet chose not to.

The bond Julia built with her father didn’t last long according to her. By 1994, she was 25, a substance abuser, and worked near Manhattan. She sadly didn’t have anything positive to say about him.

Julia explained that all she wanted from Desi Jr. was for him to pick up her calls and answer her letters. She noted how her father helped others who had substance and alcohol abuse problems but failed to reach out to assist “his own flesh and blood,” adding, “Maybe he’s weak like me.”

The father-daughter pair’s relationship seemed to get better over the years, and by 2021, Julia revealed how he helped her a lot throughout her life. The then-25-year-old also noted how her father assisted her daughter, Desiree S. Anzalone, through college. The star’s granddaughter sadly died in recent years.

Losing His Granddaughter

Desi Jr. built a relationship with his granddaughter before she died on September 27, 2020, from stage 4 breast cancer. The 31-year-old lost her battle with the disease at Connecticut’s Smilow Cancer Center. She was born on September 15, 1989, to Julia and Mario Anzalone.

Desiree was Desi Sr. and Lucille’s first great-grandchild. Her mother said she died “peacefully” but confessed that watching Desiree “slip away” isn’t something she’d wish on her worst enemy. Julia feels it’s something no mother should have to witness.

She described her late daughter as “special” and “something else.” They were and still are best friends with her “mini-me.” Julia recalled how beautiful Desiree was inside and out and reminded her of her grandmother.

Desi Jr.’s grandchild was 25 when she was first diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. She got chemotherapy but eventually decided on a double mastectomy. Desiree went into remission for some time, but in 2018, she discovered the cancer had returned.

It came back as stage 4 and spread to her lungs, liver, and bones. Julia figures her daughter could’ve been with them for a few more years, but the cancer had started spreading, and the tumors were bigger. Desiree’s family had expected her to, at least, survive through the holidays.

What went wrong with Desi Jr.’s granddaughter was that fluid kept building up around her heart. Surgeries got done, but the issue would return within two weeks. When Desiree died, she’d gone into surgery and returned 12 hours later.

They then told Julia she only had days or hours with her daughter, and that was “really tough” for her. Julia was there before the loss happened, which she described as “unimaginable.” Before her death, the photographer received hormonal chemotherapy.

Desiree wished to enlighten others during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Her mother said she wanted “to give awareness for young girls her age because this does happen. It’s rare, but it does happen.”

Desi Jr.’s late granddaughter wanted people to know that no matter what age if you feel something, you should get it checked. Although Desiree’s case was a rare one, it is something that happens, it’s just not talked about often.

Usually, people who faced what Desiree went through are in their late 30s, 40s, and 50s. The late photographer wanted to educate women like her about preventative measures. The first time she got diagnosed was right after her birthday, ironically before breast cancer awareness month.

The second time when she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer it was about three years later, and again, right after her birthday and before breast cancer awareness month. Julia found it strange that the diagnosis happened “every three years or so.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Julia was unable to spend much time with Desiree in her final days. Desi Jr.’s daughter revealed that the virus kept them apart because she didn’t want Desiree to catch another illness.

She saw her daughter but not as much, and they hung out daily when the photographer was around. Luckily for Julia, her daughter lived with her for a while. Confirming the bond Desi Jr. had with his granddaughter, Julia noted how Desiree spent lots of time with him.

There was a point where the granddaughter lived with her grandfather for around four or five months. In 2008, the late photographer attended the TV Land Awards that honored her great-grandmother. Since Desiree’s death, Desi Jr.’s sister has shared his photos several times, eliciting responses from fans.

What Fans Think about Desi Jr.’s Recent Look

Fans got a peek at what Desi Jr. looks like now since placing his career on hold. For his birthday in 2022, Lucie uploaded a hilarious Instagram photo of her kissing her brother’s cheek while he made a funny face.

She captioned the post, “Who loves you, Baby??? Happy Birthday to my handsome, nutty brother who turned 69 today!!! I love you, Desi.” Lucille Ball‘s son sported short gray hair and a matching beard and mustache.

The following year, Lucie honored him again on his special day with three Instagram images. The first one, which matched the one from the previous year, showed her embracing him around the neck while they both smiled.

The second one seemed to show what the siblings really looked like in 2023. Both Lucie and her brother sported gray hair, but this time Desi Jr.’s beard and hair were scruffier and longer. He also wore glasses and a cap. The third picture showed him getting a hug from his sister.

He had his gray hair and beard and also wore glasses again. Lucie wished “Little Desi” a “very happy and healthy 7th decade.” She declared her love and randomly confirmed that he never acted as Ricky.

On August 3, 2024, Lucie Arnaz shared the latest photos of her brother. In the first picture, she hugged his arm and laid her head on his shoulder as they posed together. Desi Jr.’s hair and mustache were even longer, and he wore a cap.

The difference in Lucie’s second image was that she had her eyes open. The third and fourth photos were of Desi Jr.’s sister and friends. Lucie thanked Nick Luckinbill for treating his family and their “special guest, my recalcitrant brother” to a meal at Wally’s in Las Vegas.

She noted how Desi Jr. was alive and well but revealed that he liked staying undercover. At the time, the siblings were in Las Vegas for the 35th Anniversary of the “Star Trek V” celebration at The Treksperts Convention.

Fans rushed to leave responses with one person stating, “Seriously wonder why a nice looking guy with a few bucks (I’m assuming) wants to look like a homeless person. Maybe he’s not doing well.”

“Is that Desi behind that big beard? I think I recognize his sweet eyes!” a second person wrote. A netizen who shared the same sentiments as the previous person confessed, “I never would have recognized him.” Someone else who got confused questioned, “Is that Desi Jr in the first 2 photos?”