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.

How old was Lucille Ball when she had Lucy?

On July 17, 1951, less than three weeks prior to her 40th birthday, Ball gave birth to daughter Lucie Désirée Arnaz. A year and a half later, she gave birth to Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known as Desi Arnaz, Jr.

Did Lucy ever stop loving Desi?

But through it all, the love remained. "Lucy loved Desi till the day she died," comedian Jack Carter, who introduced Ball to her second husband, told People.

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 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.

Was Desi Arnaz a smoker?

Arnaz's doctor, Charles Campbell, also confirmed to The Los Angeles Times at the time that the actor died from lung cancer caused by his history of smoking. “It was from smoking those Cuban cigars; that's the truth,” he said.

Was Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz married in real life?

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Elope

Only six months after meeting, they eloped on Nov. 30th, 1940. The newlyweds shared a passionate kiss in this snapshot captured that same month. The couple was married from 1940 to 1960, which included many ups and downs over the years.

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.

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 rich was Desi Arnaz?

He was survived by his kids, Lucie and Desi Jr. and his ex-wife Lucille Ball. His second wife, Edith Hirsch, whom he married in 1963, died a year earlier in 1985. Desi Arnaz was worth $20 million before his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

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.

How many husbands did Lucille Ball have?

Audiences across the country knew America's favorite redhead was adored by Desi Arnaz – but long after “I Love Lucy” came to an end and her marriage to her co-star ended in 1960, Lucille Ball became happily devoted to her second husband, comedian Gary Morton.

How old was Desi when he married Lucy?

They both also lied about their ages on the certificates to make the age gap between them a year, instead of the actual six. Lucy claimed to be 26, and Desi bumped his age up to 25, even though he was only 23 at the time.

Did Lucy ever forgive Desi?

Though Ball and Arnaz's marriage ended in a bitter divorce back in 1960, their "unconditional love for each other" lasted and "never went away," Lucie recalls: "There was forgiveness.

How much older was Ethel than Lucy?

If Ethel turned an age between 40 and 50 the year that Lucy turned 34, there is either six to sixteen years between the women. Using Lucy's birthyear of 1921 and subtracting from six to sixteen years, Ethel would have been born between 1905 and 1915.

What caused Lucille Ball's death?

Lucille Ball died April 26, 1989 of a ruptured aortic aneurism at the age of 77. She was in 113 movies and famously stared, with her then husband Desi Arnaz in the TV show “I love Lucy” from 1951-1957.

Did Fred and Ethel smoke?

In the early episodes, Lucy and Ricky, as well as Ethel and Fred on occasion, were shown smoking Philip Morris cigarettes. Lucy even went so far as to parody Johnny Roventini's image as the Philip Morris "bellhop" in the May 5, 1952, episode, "Lucy Does a TV Commercial".