Despite the fact that she died thirty years ago, Lucille Ball is still loved and remembered by many people.
Because of the television series I Love Lucy, in which she co-starred with her husband, Desi Arnaz, she became the most well-known comedic actress of the 1950s.
She began her career as a model and film actor before becoming well-known for her work on television, and she had acted in over 70 films by the end of her career.
In many ways, Lucille Ball’s legacy lives on, and her great-granddaughter bears striking resemblance to her famous great-grandmother.
Desiree Anzalone, 31, unfortunately died in a car accident in 2020.
I Love Lucy made a lot of history and made Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz famous. As one of the first sitcoms to be shot in front of a live audience, it paved the way for many other well-known comedies to follow.
Lucille Ball had two children from her two marriages. In 1940, she married Desi Arnaz, with whom she co-starred in the 1940 picture I Love Lucy. The couple’s two children were named Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.
Despite the fact that Desi Arnaz Jr.’s birth was one of the most widely reported in television history, being the son of two famous individuals was not easy. He has already admitted to excessive partying while growing up in Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s.
He was surrounded by pressure and temptation because he was the son of two extremely well-known television personalities. In reality, he fathered a child when he was only 15 years old.
Arnaz Jr. made an effort to be present for his granddaughter, Desiree Anzalone, to make up for his previous absence, despite the fact that he did not contact his daughter Julia until nearly 20 years later.
The baby grew up surrounded by Hollywood royalty, eventually becoming a teen star on his parents’ other movie, Here’s Lucy.
He met Susan Callahan-Howe, a model who would become the mother of his daughter, at this time.
Susan and Desi Jr. met when they were both 15 years old. However, Desi Jr. and Julia did not remarry for many years until the 1990s.
Julia never met her adored grandmother Lucille because it was after her death.
Callahan spent years telling her daughter that her father was renowned before passing away from COVID-19 in 2020. Years later, Julia decided to conduct a paternity test to determine paternity.
“When I was 20, we conducted a DNA test, and it came back 99.97% that I was actually his daughter, and then shortly after that, my father and I began a great relationship,” Julia explained.
“By this point, I’m over the age of 18. ‘Yeah, she’s my kid, whatever,’ he could have said. He, however, did not. He was a huge assistance to me throughout my life, and he also supported my daughter through college.”
Desiree Anzalone was that daughter, and Julia claimed that her father became close with her as well. She went on to say that they spent a lot of time together and that Desiree even lived with Arnaz Jr. for a while.
Julia also called her daughter Lucille after her Emmy Award-winning grandmother; Desiree was the actress’ second name.
Desiree earned a degree in creative writing from the University of North Texas and worked as a photographer.
According to People, the young woman was 25 when she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
Anzalone entered remission after a double mastectomy, but her cancer returned and spread to her lungs, liver, and bones.
Unfortunately, Desiree’s life was cut short in 2020.
During the 2020 pandemic, Julia Arnaz had to deal with her mother dying of COVID-19 and her daughter suffering from stage 4 breast cancer.
“Because she was compromised and I didn’t want her to get sick in any way, the COVID-19 kept us apart,” Julia explains. “As a result of the COVID since March, I haven’t been able to spend as much time with her as I normally do. I mean, I saw her, but not as frequently; we’d hang out almost every day she was here. She also resided with me for a while.”
Julia Arnaz stated in May 2021 that she was committed to work as an activist to assist other young women prevent the cancer that took her daughter’s life from progressing so quickly.
She has pledged to increase mammography coverage in Connecticut, her native state. While these are normally prescribed for older women, Arnaz intends to encourage younger women to begin them sooner rather than later.
“Those four or five months make a big difference,” she said. “And this lovely angel, my daughter… Many young women may think, ‘Oh, it’s just a cyst, no big issue.’ But she stood up for herself, and I encourage other young women to do the same.”
Julia Arnaz has continued to raise awareness about this topic in the media since her daughter’s untimely death.
“It’s just not widely discussed. People in their late 30s, 40s, and 50s are more likely to be targeted,” according to Julia Arnaz. “So it was something she really wanted – to help other ladies like her. Really, it’s a prophylactic measure.”
RIP, sweet angel!
