On October 15, 1951, Arnaz co-starred in the premiere of I Love Lucy, in which he played a fictionalized version of himself, Cuban orchestra leader Enrique "Ricky" Ricardo. His co-star was his real-life wife, Lucille Ball, who played Ricky's wife, Lucy.

Were Lucy and Ricky really married?

The pair were married in real life when they played everyone's favorite TV couple Lucy and Ricky Ricardo from 1951 to 1957. They divorced three years after the original show ended in 1960, but they remained business partners for years following their divorce.

Who was Lucy married to in real-life?

Lucille Ball was 28 when she met Desi Arnaz, 23, on the set of 'Too Many Girls,' in 1940. The two quickly hit it off and were married by year's end on Nov. 30. Despite their whirlwind romance, Lucy and Desi's marriage was not without faults, having struggled with infidelity, alcohol abuse and miscarriages.

Why did Lucy and Desi divorce in real-life?

Their marriage was rocky.

Lucy filed for divorce in 1944, over issues with Desi's heavy drinking and cheating, according to People. Desi was also gone a lot on tour and, when he was home, he would be out late while Lucy had to be up early for work.

Was Little Ricky on I Love Lucy her real son?

Sure enough, when the episode was airing and the fictional Lucy was giving birth to Little Ricky, the real-life Desi Arnaz Jr. —son of Ball and husband Desi Arnaz—entered the world at 8 pounds and 1 ounce.

Lucille Ball's Relationship With Desi Arnaz Explained

Is Desi Arnaz still alive?

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986), known as Desi Arnaz, was a Cuban-American actor, musician, producer and bandleader.

Was the baby on I Love Lucy her real baby?

The "I Love Lucy" episode when Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky - later played by young drumming prodigy Keith Thibodeaux - aired on the same day that Lucille Ball had a Caesarian section to deliver Desi Arnaz Jr. It was all on purpose, Arnaz Jr.

How much did Lucille Ball have when she died?

Lucille had an estimated net worth of $60 million at the time of her death at age 77 in 1989, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The Emmy winner, born to Henry Durrell "Had" Ball and Désirée Evelyn "DeDe" Ball in 1911, earned her first credited acting role in 1935's I Dream Too Much.

Who inherited Lucy and Desi money?

When she died in 1989, she split her estate between her two children, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr., and her second husband, Gary Morton.

Did Lucy and Desi remain friends after their divorce?

Arnaz, for his part, remarried with his neighbor, Edith Hirsch, 1963 until his death in 1985. Despite their dramatic divorce, Arnaz and Ball remained friends until their deaths. In his memoir, A Book, Arnaz wrote of Ball: “All I can say is that I loved her very much and, in my own peculiar way, I will always love her.”

What disease did Lucille Ball have?

She did not appear in film or television roles for the rest of her career and died in 1989 from an abdominal aortic aneurysm and arteriosclerotic heart disease at the age of 77.

Did Desi Arnaz have a child at 15?

Arnaz has a daughter, Julia Arnaz, from a relationship with model Susan Callahan-Howe in 1968 when they were both 15 years old; Julia's relationship to Desi Jr. was proven by a paternity test in 1991.

Was Lucy pregnant in real life?

Back in 1952, when TV couples still slept in separate beds side by side, actress and star of hit sitcom I Love Lucy Lucille Ball discovered she was pregnant. She and real-life husband Desi Arnaz, who was also her husband on TV, went to the network to tell them, assuming the show would be canceled.

How rich was Desi Arnaz when he died?

Desi Arnaz—whom she divorced in May 1960—was worth $20 million at the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Arnaz, a regular cigarette smoker, died three years before Ball on December 2, 1986, from lung cancer.

Did Ricky ever hit Lucy?

On a couple of occasions, when Lucy does something that makes Ricky upset, he spanks her. Lucy is a grown woman who has the right to make her own decisions. No matter how Ricky feels about them, he has no right to use force on Lucy like that in order to make her do what he wants her to do.

Were Lucy and Desi ever happy?

Despite moving on with other people later in life, the couple shared an "unconditional love for each other" that "never went away," their daughter Lucie recalled to PEOPLE. "They gave the country this wonderful creation, but they never got what they wanted — to stay together," she said.

Did Lucy go to Desi funeral?

' His ex-wife, Lucille Ball, with her husband, Gary Morton, at her side, was among the last of about 100 mourners to arrive for the hourlong mass at a hillside church near the home in Del Mar where Arnaz died Tuesday of cancer at age 69. 'He was a great showman, musician, father and husband,' she told reporters.

Was Little Ricky their real son?

Enrique Alberto Ricardo IV, better known as Little Ricky, is a fictional character from the American television series I Love Lucy (1951–57, with Ricky Jr. becoming a part of the show as of his birth in 1953) and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957–60). Little Ricky is the son of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo.

How much older was Desi than Lucy?

They weren't your typical Hollywood couple: Ball was nearly six years older than her husband (a gap so taboo at the time that she reportedly lied about her birth year on their marriage certificate); Arnaz was Cuban. (Bear in mind: This was the '50s.)

Who inherited Lucille Balls' money?

After her mother's death on April 26, 1989, Lucie was named the executor of her trust, the Lucille Ball Morton Trust, and divided her estate between herself, her brother and Ball'a second husband, actor Gary Morton.

Does Desilu Ranch still exist?

Lucy and Desi left Chatsworth in 1956 and Desilu Ranch was finally torn down for suburbs in 1976. But some holdouts from the celebrity ranch glory days remain.

How many babies did Lucille Ball have?

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's legacy lives on through their children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., and their grandchildren, Julia, Haley, Simon, Joseph and Kate. The comedic duo's journey to parenthood began in 1951 with the birth of Lucie Désirée Arnaz.

Did Lucille Ball actually give birth on TV?

At the time, the episode was the highest-rated episode ever broadcast on TV with 71.7% of American TV sets tuning in to watch. Just 12 hours after it aired, Lucille Ball gave birth to the couple's real-life son, Desi Arnaz Jr.

How old was Lucille Ball when she had Lucy?

Lucille Ball had kids later in life

Though she married her husband and co-star Desi Arnaz in 1940, Ball suffered at least two devastating miscarriages, and didn't have her first child until she was 40 years old.

What happened to Desi Arnaz Jr.?

Today, while his public appearances might have grown sporadic, Desi Arnaz Jr.'s influence in the world of arts and entertainment continues. He and his wife, Amy Arnaz, co-manage the Historic Boulder Theatre and help run the non-profit Boulder City Ballet Company (BCBC).