Desi Arnaz Confessed Love to Lucille Ball Days Before His Death — Decades After Their Divorce
They were the first power couple of the small screen, a magical pairing whose on-screen chemistry as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo captivated a generation. But the real-life love story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz was far more complex and enduring than any television script could ever capture. Their whirlwind romance and groundbreaking professional partnership created a comedy empire, but the pressures of fame, infidelity, and addiction ultimately led to their divorce in 1960. For decades, the public believed their love story had ended.
However, in a deeply touching, final act of their lives, the truth was revealed. Just days before his death, decades after their marriage ended, Desi Arnaz made a final, heartfelt confession of love to the woman who was the center of his universe. It was a private moment that only a few knew about, a quiet testament to a love that, despite a tumultuous history, never truly died. This is the incredible, and heartbreaking, story of their final goodbye.
A Hollywood Fairy Tale and Its Unraveling
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz met in 1940 on the set of the film, Too Many Girls. Their connection was immediate and explosive, a whirlwind romance that led to their elopement just six months later. Their love, however, was as volatile as it was passionate. When they launched their now-legendary sitcom, I Love Lucy, the on-screen chaos of their characters was a mirror for the professional and personal pressures of their lives.
For years, they were a Hollywood anomaly: a husband-and-wife duo running their own production studio, Desilu, and producing the most popular show in the country. Their creativity and business acumen were unmatched, but their marriage was crumbling. Despite their two children, Lucie and Desi Jr., Desi’s well-documented struggles with alcoholism and his reputation for philandering, coupled with the unrelenting demands of their careers, led Lucille to file for divorce in 1960. The split sent shockwaves across the country, shattering the illusion of their perfect television family.
The Enduring Love That Survived Divorce
While their marriage may have ended, their love story did not. In the years that followed, Lucille and Desi remained exceptionally close. They continued to be friends and business partners, and their mutual respect never faded. Friends and colleagues have often spoken of the undeniable bond that remained between them. As theater actress Carol Channing, a close friend of Lucy’s, once said, “They spoke so lovingly of each other, you almost forgot they weren’t together anymore.”
This decades-long affection was a powerful testament to a love that transcended the confines of marriage. They supported each other through their new relationships—Lucille married comedian Gary Morton and Desi married Edith Mack Hirsch—and always celebrated each other’s professional triumphs. Desi, for his part, was always Lucille’s biggest champion, giving her the bulk of the credit for I Love Lucy‘s success, even as he was the genius producer who pioneered the three-camera setup.
The public may have seen a divorce, but those closest to them saw a love that was perhaps even purer after the legal separation. It was a love no longer burdened by the pressures of their on-screen partnership and the public’s expectations. It was a love rooted in a deep history and an unbreakable bond of friendship, something that would be on full display in their final days.
The Final Communication: A Last ‘I Love You’
The moment that cemented their legendary love story took place in late 1986. Desi Arnaz was 69 years old and in the final stages of a battle with lung cancer. On November 30, a day that held special significance for the former couple, their daughter, Lucie Arnaz, was with her ailing father. Knowing his time was short, she made a heartbreaking call to her mother.
Lucie held the phone to her father’s ear, allowing the former husband and wife to share their final conversation. In a moment of raw emotion, Lucille Ball, over the phone, said, “I love you,” a staggering five times in a row. Desi, weak but resolute, listened and then responded with his own simple, perfect, and deeply moving words: “I love you too, honey.”
In a powerful twist of fate, their final conversation occurred on what would have been their 46th wedding anniversary. Desi Arnaz passed away just two days later. The poignancy of that final exchange, a confession of enduring love on the very day that their married life began, speaks volumes about the depth of their connection.
But the story doesn’t end there. Just a few days after his death, Lucille Ball was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors. In a posthumous tribute read by actor Robert Stack, Desi’s final words to Lucille were revealed in a letter. The closing line of the tribute, a phrase he had told others before, was a final confession of his undying devotion: “P.S. I Love Lucy was never just a title.”
A Love That Endures
The final chapter of Lucille and Desi’s love story is a powerful reminder that love, in its truest form, can transcend the conventions of marriage, career, and even time. The public may have wanted a fairytale ending for their romance, but the truth was more powerful than any Hollywood script. Their decades-long friendship, their unwavering support for one another, and their final, heartfelt confessions of love proved that their connection never truly faded.
Their story serves as a testament to the complexities of human relationships and the idea that a profound, once-in-a-lifetime love can survive separation, new marriages, and even the finality of death. Desi Arnaz’s final “I love you” to Lucille Ball was not a performance; it was the final, honest truth from a man who, no matter what, would always love his Lucy.
