Where Are Bunny Yeager’s Daughters Now?

As a documentary delving deep into the often overlooked career of arguably the most talented pin-up model-turned-photographer of all time, Netflix’s ‘Naked Ambition’ is undeniably gripping. It actually captures Bunny Yeager’s legacy through not only her own eyes but also the perspectives of loved ones and the industry, thanks to a blend of archival footage as well as exclusive interviews. Among them were her two loving daughters, Cherilu Irwin DuVal and Lisa Irwin Gilbert, who admittedly share drastically different opinions about their mother’s work and its lasting impact.

Cherilu DuVal is a Multifaceted Individual Based Out of Ohio

Born in December 1955 in Miami, Florida, to Bunny Yeager and Arthur “Bud” Irwin, Cherilu Irwin DuVal realized at a rather young age that her family’s dynamic was worlds apart from others. She noticed that the former juggled a career while being a happily married mother at a time when it was extremely unusual, which inadvertently made her feel as if she may not have been the top priority. The essence of resentment only grew deeper over time as she learned precisely the kind of work – pin-up modeling and photography – her mother did because it left her feeling embarrassed.

Cherilu has always believed that no matter how tasteful her mother tried to be, her work on herself or with models still sexualized women in a negative light and was incredibly exploitative. Therefore, she rarely discussed her profession while growing up, and then moved out as soon as she could to maintain a somewhat healthy, stable personal relationship with her entire family. In fact, upon graduating from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Art as well as tying the knot with the love of her life, David DuVal, she relocated to Ohio for good so as to start afresh.

Cherilu had married David in a beautiful ceremony on September 10, 1977, unaware she would lose her father to suicide less than 3 weeks later, on October 1, 1977. The tragedy brought her closer to her mother and her sister over time, paving the way for them to have a tight-knit bond that only grew stronger once she began having kids. She still didn’t ethically or morally agree with Bunny’s brand, but she could set her opinions aside and see the art behind it as she had evolved into an artist herself. In fact, since 1978, Cherilu has been a Freelance Artist, specializing in cartoons, portraits, and room murals, all the while also dabbling in teaching children’s art classes. Today, at the age of 70, she resides in Hamilton, Ohio, where she serves as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, educator, and artist.

Lisa Irwin Prefers to Lead a Private Life Today

Lisa Irwin Gilbert Packard is the second/youngest child of Bunny Yeager and Arthur “Bud” Irwin, as she was born roughly three years after they had welcomed Cherilu into the world. According to the documentary, she had come to recognize that her family was not usual early on, too, yet she believed it had more to do with the fact that she is deaf rather than anything else. She experienced the world differently, so she admittedly didn’t know any better until she was well into her teenage years, but her opinion of her mother’s work was always that she was creating pure visual art.

Lisa even grew protective of Bunny over time, and while they still had their differences like any mother-daughter duo, there was still a lot of love between them. In fact, they both eventually became affiliated with the Florida School for the Deaf & Blind in St. Augustine, which brought them closer than they ever imagined. Since the former continued to reside in her home state, she was even well aware of how her mother’s career and legacy were starting to blow up all over again in the early 2010s, thanks to her new assistant.

Lisa never liked the assistant Bunny had in the last 4 years of her life because she believed he was more of a salesman for her, as per her own account in the documentary. Therefore, she even took the legal route to have him removed as the handler of her work following her demise from heart failure at the age of 85 on May 25, 2014. She hoped to handle her archival portfolio herself since she felt an innate lifelong connection to it, but with the encouragement of her elder sister, she ultimately decided to auction it to professionals. Since then, from what we can tell, she has moved to Hamilton, Ohio, to be closer to Cherilu, where she prefers to keep her personal life private while surrounded by the support of loved ones, likely including a partner and kids of her own.

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