Arlene Litman was an American teacher best known as the mother of actress Lisa Bonet. She was also the maternal grandmother of actress Zoë Kravitz.
Arlene came from an Ashkenazi Jewish family with Polish and Russian roots. She married African-American opera singer Allen Bonet in 1967. Their marriage later ended, and Arlene raised Lisa mainly as a single mother. She died in 1998 at the age of 58.
Arlene Litman’s Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Arlene Joyce Litman |
| Known as | Arlene Litman |
| Date of birth | February 11, 1940 |
| Birthplace | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Family background | Ashkenazi Jewish |
| Ancestry | Polish and Russian |
| Father | Eli Litman |
| Mother | Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg |
| Sibling | Barry Litman |
| Profession | Teacher, reportedly a music teacher |
| Former husband | Allen Bonet |
| Marriage date | June 12, 1967 |
| Child | Lisa Bonet |
| Granddaughter | Zoë Kravitz |
| Date of death | March 3, 1998 |
| Age at death | 58 |
| Reported place of death | Los Angeles, California |
| Reported cause of death | Breast cancer |
Arlene Litman’s Early Life
Arlene Joyce Litman was born on February 11, 1940, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
She came from an Ashkenazi Jewish family with roots in Poland and Russia. Her father was Eli Litman, who reportedly lived from 1912 to 1986. Her mother was Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg, who reportedly lived from 1916 to 2016.
Arlene had one known sibling, a brother named Barry Litman.
There is little public information about her childhood in Pittsburgh or when she later moved to California.
What Was Arlene Litman’s Religion?
Arlene’s religious beliefs are not completely clear.
Her family background was Ashkenazi Jewish. Some online profiles have described her as Christian. However, Lisa Bonet has reportedly said that her parents considered themselves atheists.
It is therefore safer to describe Arlene as coming from a Jewish family rather than claim that she followed a specific religion throughout her life.
Arlene Litman’s Education
Reliable details about Arlene’s education are not publicly available.
No confirmed school, college, university, degree, or teaching qualification has been widely reported.
Arlene Litman’s Career as a Teacher
Arlene worked as a teacher.
Some reports specifically identify her as a music teacher or music instructor, while others simply describe her as a schoolteacher.
There is no reliable public record identifying the schools where she taught or how long she worked as a teacher.
Unlike her daughter and granddaughter, Arlene did not pursue a major public career in entertainment.
Arlene Litman and Allen Bonet
Arlene married Allen Bonet, an African-American opera singer.
They reportedly married on June 12, 1967, in San Francisco, California.
Music was part of both of their lives. Arlene taught music, while Allen worked as a singer.
Their interracial relationship reportedly faced opposition from Arlene’s family. Lisa Bonet later spoke about the difficulties surrounding her mother’s decision to marry a Black man.
According to accounts based on Lisa’s comments, Arlene’s family did not approve of the relationship. One report states that her parents and brother opposed the marriage.
Arlene still chose to marry Allen.
Arlene Litman and Allen Bonet’s Daughter
Arlene and Allen had one child together, Lisa Michelle Bonet.
Lisa was born on November 16, 1967, several months after her parents’ marriage.
She was Arlene’s only child.
Arlene and Allen’s marriage later ended. The exact date of their divorce is not clearly documented in the available information.
Reports say the couple separated while Lisa was still young. Arlene became Lisa’s main caregiver and raised her largely as a single mother.
Arlene is not known to have remarried.
Raising Lisa Bonet as a Single Mother
After her relationship with Allen ended, Arlene reportedly moved to the San Fernando area of California and raised Lisa.
Lisa has spoken about difficulties she experienced growing up as a biracial child.
Her father was African-American, while her mother came from a white Jewish family. Lisa reportedly experienced problems fitting in both at school and among some members of her mother’s family.
Allen was reportedly not a regular presence during much of Lisa’s childhood. Arlene therefore handled much of the responsibility of raising their daughter.
Who Is Lisa Bonet?
Lisa Bonet is an American actress best known for playing Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show.
She began appearing in commercials as a child. Reports say she started doing commercial work at around age 11.
Her breakthrough came when she joined The Cosby Show as a teenager. She later continued playing Denise on the spin-off A Different World.
Lisa’s other acting credits include Angel Heart, Enemy of the State, High Fidelity, Biker Boyz, and Road to Paloma.
Her work on The Cosby Show earned her major recognition, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
In 1995, Lisa legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon, although she continued to use Lisa Bonet professionally.
Arlene Litman’s Relationship With Lisa Bonet
Arlene remained involved in Lisa’s life after her daughter became an actress.
Lisa has spoken positively about her mother and described her as a good woman who loved her.
One example of Arlene’s support came after the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California. Lisa and her daughter Zoë were reportedly displaced, and Arlene helped them during that period.
Arlene lived long enough to see Lisa establish a successful acting career and start a family of her own.
Arlene Litman Was Zoë Kravitz’s Grandmother
Arlene was the maternal grandmother of Zoë Kravitz.
Zoë was born on December 1, 1988, to Lisa Bonet and musician Lenny Kravitz. Arlene was alive during the first nine years of Zoë’s life.
Zoë later became an actress, singer, and model. Her acting work includes X-Men: First Class, Big Little Lies, and The Batman.
Although Arlene died when Zoë was young, her granddaughter later publicly honored her.
Zoë Kravitz Named a Lipstick After Arlene
In 2019, Zoë Kravitz worked with YSL Beauté on a lipstick collection.
One of the shades was named Arlene’s Nude No. 121 after her grandmother.
It was described as a rosewood nude shade.
Zoë explained that her grandmother normally wore very simple makeup or no makeup, which made the natural-looking shade suitable for her.
The tribute came more than 20 years after Arlene’s death.
What Happened to Allen Bonet After the Divorce?
Allen Bonet later remarried after his relationship with Arlene ended.
Reports about his second wife and later family contain some inconsistencies. Some sources identify his later wife as Deborah, but details about her full name and the exact number of their children differ.
Several children from Allen’s later family have been reported. They are Lisa Bonet’s paternal half-siblings and were not Arlene’s children.
Allen reportedly died in 2008 after suffering a heart attack.
When Did Arlene Litman Die?
Arlene Litman died on March 3, 1998, at the age of 58.
Her place of death has been reported as Los Angeles, California.
Her reported cause of death was breast cancer.
At the time of her death, Lisa Bonet was 30 years old and Zoë Kravitz was nine.
Arlene Litman’s Net Worth
Arlene Litman’s personal net worth is not reliably known.
She worked as a teacher, but reliable information about her salary, property, investments, or other financial assets is not publicly available.
Any exact net worth figure published without supporting financial information should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Did Arlene Litman Have Social Media?
Arlene died in 1998, before modern social media platforms became widely used.
There are no known official social media accounts belonging to her.
Most information available about Arlene today comes from reports about Lisa Bonet, Zoë Kravitz, and their family history.
Facts About Arlene Litman
- Her full name was Arlene Joyce Litman.
- She was born on February 11, 1940, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Her parents were reported as Eli Litman and Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg.
- She had a brother named Barry Litman.
- She came from an Ashkenazi Jewish family with Polish and Russian roots.
- She worked as a teacher and has been described as a music teacher.
- She married opera singer Allen Bonet in 1967.
- Their interracial marriage reportedly faced opposition from members of her family.
- Arlene and Allen had one daughter, Lisa Bonet.
- She raised Lisa largely as a single mother after her marriage ended.
- She was actress Zoë Kravitz’s maternal grandmother.
- Zoë later named a YSL Beauté lipstick shade Arlene’s Nude No. 121 after her.
- Arlene died on March 3, 1998, at age 58.
- Her reported cause of death was breast cancer.
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