While the world was madly racing, burning in flames and suffocating in gunpowder in
the 1940’s, these two managed to find a place for love in all the rush.
The redhead actress and amorous Cuban musician became TV's first interracial couple.
But what was hiding behind the most passionate love story of the century?
Fiery and passionate just as her image, Lucy Ball was already the superstar of cinematography.
She met Desi on the set of the film, Too Many Girls.
A fact that later became ironic, regarding Arnaz’s affairs.
Everybody warned that he wasn’t a proper match for Lucy.
The actress used to date taller and older men, while Arnaz had proposed to someone else.
But the two fell in love anyway.
Lucy dived into the deep water, doting on Desi right away.
Making him happy was the most important thing for her, pushing herself to the background.
It was unexpected to her friends to witness how the most assertive and independent woman
would scoot over if Desi needed space, or get him anything he wanted at first call.
Did her excessive love and care give Arnaz the feeling that he won over her?
Or just maybe nothing could tire the Cuban singer's womanizing nature.
After the filming ended, Lucy was furious to find out that Desi got back with his ex-lover
while he was on tour promoting the band.
The passionate scandal ended with a proposal from Desi.
They got engaged 6 month after they first met.
Both successful, Lucy and Desi's hectic schedules started to pull the lovers apart.
Even after their tour ended Arnaz would come home at 4 in the morning after playing with the band.
And Lucy had to sit in front of the camera by that time.
It seemed that they barely started seeing each other and their story was already coming to an end.
It’s hard to imagine how excited and thrilled Lucy was to find out she was pregnant.
Finally she could have Desi next to her when she needed.
Well, at least for a couple of days…
But the road to a happy family was even longer.
Her friends said Lucy suffered several miscarriages before she gave birth to her first baby.
The child should’ve been the glue that strengthened their family bond but Lucy couldn’t stand
Desi’s cheatings anymore.
She filed for divorce 4 years after their marriage.
However, the two couldn’t live without each other.
It looked like the more they argued the more they fell in love.
They later reconciled and agreed to pursue common projects to spend more time together.
Lucy’s talent carved her a path from radio to national television.
The executive of the show didn’t share Lucy’s idea to engage Arnaz in the show, because
of his heavy Cuban accent.
But the audience fell in love with him while he was touring with the vaudeville act around the country.
At last, Lucy had her husband by her side.
She had hoped that he wouldn’t have time for drinking and interacting with other women.
"She knew that if he went on the road with the band, he'd be catting around all the time.
She wanted him at home, where she felt the marriage would have a better chance of lasting,
which of course it did," said writer Bob Weiskopf.
Preparing for the show and flipping a new page in their career, the couple turned a
new chapter in their personal life, too.
Lucy finally gave birth to her firstborn, baby Lucie, one month before her 40th birthday.
The show, I Love Lucy, that aired in 1951 was a breakthrough from the very start with
40 million viewers tuning into the show every week.
Lucy made one more revolution, being the first woman to film while she was actually pregnant
with her second child.
Ball had all she could ever dream of: a great career, loving husband and beautiful kids.
But as it turned out later, the success of the show came at a price.
Arnaz revealed later that the pressure of producing the show pushed him to look to the
bottom of the glass.
Lucy was used to handling all the crises in her family but after 20 years of marriage
- enough was enough.
She couldn’t stand his alcoholism and cheating anymore.
Even after the divorce, when they both married other people, Lucy and Desi were close.
Before his death, Desi said his last words to Lucy: "I love you too, honey.
Good luck with your show."
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