Arlene Litman was an American music teacher best known as the mother of actress Lisa Bonet. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and came from an Ashkenazi Jewish family with Polish and Russian roots.
Arlene married opera singer Allen Bonet in 1967. Their marriage later ended, and she raised Lisa mainly as a single mother. Arlene died in 1998 at the age of 58.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Arlene Joyce Litman |
| Date of birth | February 11, 1940 |
| Birthplace | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Music teacher |
| Father | Eli Litman |
| Mother | Sylvia Ellen Goldvarg |
| Sibling | Barry Litman |
| Former husband | Allen Bonet |
| Marriage date | June 12, 1967 |
| Child | Lisa Michelle Bonet |
| Granddaughter | Zoë Kravitz |
| Date of death | March 3, 1998 |
| Age at death | 58 |
| Cause of death | Breast cancer |
| Net worth | Not reliably known |
Early Life
Arlene Joyce Litman was born on February 11, 1940, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
She grew up in an Ashkenazi Jewish family with roots in Poland and Russia.
There is little reliable information about her childhood or early years.
Parents and Brother
Arlene’s 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 Litman also had a brother named Barry Litman.
Education
Arlene’s education has not been clearly documented.
No reliable public source names the school, college, or university she attended.
She later became a teacher, but details about her training are not widely available.
Career as a Music Teacher
Arlene Litman worked as a music teacher.
Some reports describe her more generally as a schoolteacher, but music teaching is the profession most often connected to her.
There is little public information about where she taught or how long she worked in education.
She did not have a public entertainment career.
Marriage to Allen Bonet
Arlene married Allen Bonet on June 12, 1967, in San Francisco, California.
Allen was an African-American opera singer.
Their shared connection to music is sometimes described as part of what brought them together.
Their marriage faced opposition from Arlene’s family because Allen was Black.
Lisa Bonet later spoke about the difficulties her mother faced because of the interracial relationship.
Family Opposition
Arlene came from a white Jewish family.
According to later accounts from Lisa, some members of Arlene’s family did not accept her marriage to Allen.
Lisa also said that growing up as a biracial child was difficult and that she did not always feel accepted by her mother’s side of the family.
Arlene’s personal religious beliefs are less clear. Some secondary sources call her Christian, while other accounts focus on her Jewish family background.
Her Daughter Lisa Bonet
Arlene Litman and Allen had one daughter, Lisa Michelle Bonet.
Lisa was born on November 16, 1967, in San Francisco, California.
Lisa later became an actress and is best known for playing Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show.
She also appeared in A Different World, Angel Heart, Enemy of the State, High Fidelity, Biker Boyz, Life on Mars, and Ray Donovan.
Lisa legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon in 1995, although she continued using Lisa Bonet professionally.
Divorce From Allen Bonet
Arlene Litman and Allen’s marriage did not last.
The exact date of their divorce is not clearly documented.
Some accounts say they separated not long after Lisa was born.
After the separation, Allen was reportedly absent from much of Lisa’s childhood.
Arlene raised Lisa mainly on her own.
Raising Lisa as a Single Mother
After separating from Allen, Arlene reportedly moved to San Fernando, California, and raised Lisa as a single mother.
Lisa later spoke about feeling different while growing up because of her mixed-race background.
Arlene remained an important source of support in her life.
Arlene Supported Lisa’s Career
Lisa began appearing in commercials when she was still young.
She later became widely known after joining The Cosby Show as a teenager.
Arlene Litman supported her daughter while Lisa built her acting career.
Lisa later described her mother as a good woman who loved her.
The 1994 Earthquake
Arlene also supported Lisa during difficult personal moments.
One report says that after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Lisa and her daughter Zoë were left in a difficult situation.
Arlene Litman reportedly came to help them.
This is one of the clearest examples of her continuing role in Lisa’s adult life.
Who Was Allen Bonet?
Allen Bonet was an opera singer and Lisa Bonet’s father.
After his marriage to Arlene ended, he later remarried and had several more children.
This gave Lisa a number of paternal half-siblings.
Reports differ on the exact number of Allen’s later children, so it is better not to give a firm total without stronger evidence.
Allen died in 2008, reportedly from a heart attack.
Her Granddaughter Zoë Kravitz
Arlene Litman was the grandmother of Zoë Kravitz, the daughter of Lisa Bonet and musician Lenny Kravitz.
Zoë was born in 1988.
Arlene lived through part of Zoë’s childhood before her death in 1998.
Zoë Kravitz Honored Arlene
Zoë later honored her grandmother in a beauty collection.
In 2019, while working with YSL Beauté, Zoë named a lipstick shade Arlene’s Nude No. 121.
She said the soft nude color reminded her of Arlene Litman because her grandmother usually wore very little makeup.
This became one of the most public tributes to Arlene after her death.
Death
Arlene Litman died on March 3, 1998.
She was 58 years old.
The reported cause of death was breast cancer.
One source places her death in Los Angeles, California.
Net Worth
Arlene Litman’s personal net worth is not reliably known.
There is no clear public record of her salary, assets, or finances.
Interesting Facts
- Arlene Joyce Litman was born on February 11, 1940.
- She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Her parents were 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 music teacher.
- She married opera singer Allen Bonet in 1967.
- Her family reportedly opposed the interracial marriage.
- She had one daughter, Lisa Bonet.
- Arlene raised Lisa mainly as a single mother after the marriage ended.
- Lisa later became known for The Cosby Show and A Different World.
- Arlene was the grandmother of Zoë Kravitz.
- Zoë honored her with a YSL lipstick shade in 2019.
- Arlene died from breast cancer on March 3, 1998.
- She was 58 years old at the time of her death.
- Her personal net worth is not reliably known.
Explore More:
Melika Payne: Age, Children, Marriage, and Life With Carl Anthony Payne II’s Wife
