Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball’s daughter Lucie discussed her parents’ marriage. And there were two big issues why the relationship didn’t work. The “I Love Lucy” stars dazzled on-screen as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. But behind the scenes, their marriage was in trouble.
Ball once wrote in her autobiography “Love, Lucy”: “I realized one day that we never really liked each other.”
But Ball’s and Arnaz’s daughter Lucie thinks her mother was being hasty. She remembered that her parents shared a deep respect and admiration for each other at one point. In a 2018 interview with Palm Springs, Lucie described Arnaz as a great guy plagued by personal issues he couldn’t overcome.
“Yeah. That’s such a strange thing for her to have said,” Lucie told the outlet. “At that point they not only liked each other, they admired each other. She thought he was one of the most brilliant people she’d ever met. His smarts, his bravery, his kindness — everyone I interviewed, without exception, talks about what an incredibly nice guy he was, tactful in business, generous: ‘What do you need? If I thin’ I can help fix it for you, I will.’
But Arnaz had two main issues that made his marriage fall apart. He didn’t mind sleeping around, and he eventually became an alcoholic as well.
“There were only two things wrong with him,” Lucie continued. “He thought other women were no big deal and, eventually, alcohol. Other than that, he was like … a perfect person. Mom saw that for as long as she possibly could, but Dad was an islander. He just wanted to play music, make love to beautiful women, and cook … pork.”
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
Soon, fans of “I Love Lucy” will get a detailed, if stylized, portrayal of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s relationship. “Being the Ricardos” promises to explore the behind-the-scenes drama on the “I Love Lucy” show. The movie will show Ball and Arnaz’s relationship crumble on the show.
Both Ball and Arnaz married in 1940. But their relationship strained due to Arnaz’s infidelities. By 1960, the couple divorced and went their separate ways. But later in life, they found themselves back to each other as friends. Despite marrying separate people, both Arnaz and Ball remained close to each other.
“We had 20 wonderful years together and we’re still close,” Arnaz said in 1980. “We’ve got some wonderful kids. Now, we’ve got a grandson — he already looks like Rocky Graziano, this character. So we’re very close and we’re very good friends. I still love her very much.”
When Desi Arnaz passed away in 1986, Ball attended his funeral. Her grief was inconsolable as she mourned her lover, business partner, and friend for the better part of her life.
