All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately the end of “I Love Lucy,” wasn’t a pleasant one. Ball was an avid believer in happy endings. She believed that no matter how bitter reality may be, the audience deserves a happy ending. The final episode of the show aired in 1957.
After the show’s ending, the couple tried to run a spin-off show called “The Lucy-Desi Show.” Unfortunately, the public didn’t buy it and it wasn’t nearly as successful as “I Love Lucy.” The couple announced their divorce in 1960 and the show culminated. The public was heartbroken to see America’s most loved couple separating.
Having Kids
It was no secret that Arnaz flirted with other women. This was oftentimes the subject of Ball and her husband's arguments. His flirtatious demeanor, as well as his drinking habits, drove Lucille mad. She hoped that having children would put an end to his bachelor-like behavior. For a while, it seemed to be working.
Prior to the show's airing in 1951, Lucille and Arnaz had given birth to their first child: their daughter, Lucy Arnaz. Lucy thought that having children would make her husband snap into reality. For a while he did. But, old habits are hard to break. While he truly did love his children and his wife, soon, things would start to unravel.
Not What it Seemed
Lucille Ball admitted that she and Arnaz were super happy on set. It was their job to be. They had to show a loving American family whose problems were fixable within half an hour. During these moments, Ball's anger towards her husband relinquished and she was her happiest self. The show was also enjoying being on top of U.S. ratings for most of its run.
But, the couple couldn't fool themselves. As soon as the director called "cut," Lucille and her husband were at each other's throats again. Between Arnaza's alcohol consumption, his alleged infidelity, and the stress of managing Desilu, their relationship started to fall apart. The perfect illusion of marriage was soon to break.
A Dark Time
On March 3, 1960, a day after Desi's 43rd birthday (and one day after the filming of Lucy and Desi's last episode together), Ball filed papers in Santa Monica Superior Court, claiming married life with Desi was "a nightmare" and nothing was as it appeared to be on the show. The months after their divorce became the darkest period in Lucy's life. She and Arnaz were married for nearly twenty years, and she had never expected to become a divorcee. She was heartbroken for disappointing herself, but even more than that, for disappointing the American people and all the fans who adored her. It crushed her that she wasn't able to give people a real-life happy ending.
As time went on, Lucille began to question everything about herself. She thought about her family and her career. She was angry at her ex-husband, however, she never once pointed a finger at him. She would later come to understand his internal battle.
Trouble With the FBI?
Before the couple divorced in 1960, Ball was under serious discretion with the US government. Why? Well, when Ball registered to vote in 1936, she listed her party affiliation as Communist and signed a certificate stating that she is registered as affiliated with the Communist Party. She was called before Congress at “the height of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch hunt.” If you recall, the 1950s were not the best time to be a fan of anything other than democratic (the system, not the party).
But, when Ball appeared before court, she claimed to only have signed up in order to satisfy her socialist grandfather. She didn't convince anybody. They released Ball "believing" her story, but in all fairness, there was no real evidence suggesting that she was an active member of the Communist Party. That didn’t stop the House Un-American Activities Committee. Before the filming of episode 68, Desi told the audience about Lucy and her grandfather. He said, "The only thing red about Lucy is her hair, and even that is not legitimate."