Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were the most beloved couple on TV in the 1950s. Their sitcom, I Love Lucy, was so wildly successful that millions of fans across America could not miss it each week. But behind the scenes, all was not always happy between them. According to a new book by Todd S. Purdum, Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television, Desi deliberately bypassed Lucy's wishes when it came to naming their first child.
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Lucy Already Had Their Future Children's Names Picked Out But Then She Got A Surprise
She chose the names Desi Jr. and Susan as the names of their first two kids long before their entrance into the world, per nypost.com via People. But Desi seemingly had other ideas. When their little girl was born on July 17, 1951, Lucy got a big surprise about the baby's name. According to the outlet via Purdum's biography of Desi, Lucy asked a nurse to bring her the child right away.
She reportedly said, "I want to see Susan." The nurse answered, "You mean Lucie?"
On his own, Desi had filled out the child's birth certificate with the name Lucie Desiree, the first names of the baby's mom and Lucy's mother. Purdum wrote that Lucy was startled but she accepted the change from the name she intended for the baby. Actually, it was a sweet tribute to her and her mother.
Lucy And Desi's Two Children Were Candid With Purdum About Their Parents' Troubled Marriage
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz split in 1960. They had been married for two decades and achieved incredible success in Hollywood. But the homefront for the pair was not harmonious. Per the outlet via Purdum's book about Desi, Desi Jr. recalled, "It wasn't good for anyone. And we'll always remember when they sat us down and said, 'Look, you know, things aren't working.' I mean, I remember word for word."
Lucy would remarry, to Gary Morton, in 1961. Desi also walked down the aisle again, with Edith Mack Hirsch in 1963. Lucy passed away in 1989, Desi died in 1986.
Despite their rocky marital relationship, Lucy and Desi will always be a cherished part of television history.
