How Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Legally Invalidated Their Own Divorce originally appeared on Parade.
Legendary late comedian couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had one of the most iconic relationships during the late golden age of Hollywood. The chemistry between them was hot — so hot, in fact, that the dynamic duo found themselves in bed together after finalizing their 1944 divorce, which, in turn, voided the entire legal decree. Oops!
Todd S. Purdum’s new book Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television, which details the couple’s rollercoaster relationship over many years, reveals exactly what happened when Ball went to finalize the divorce in November 1944.
After four years of cheating from Arnaz, Ball filed for divorce and just one day before the proceedings were set to be finalized, he called the iconic redhead and asked her to a farewell dinner. The dinner went so well — as their undeniable chemistry was, well, undeniable — that Purdum writes that the pair “wound up in bed” together after the meal.
The next morning, the actress awoke in a frenzy, claiming she was late. But Arnaz didn’t know where she was going, especially not after the success of the night before. “I told you, I’m divorcing you this morning,” Ball explained to her husband, noting that she had to “go through with it” because the press was aware of the court date and had gathered at the courthouse to cover the hearing.
“She went to court, got the divorce decree from the judge, and came right back and joined Desi in bed again — thus invalidating the breakup under California law, which had a one-year period banning cohabitation after a provisional decree,” Purdum writes in his book. “Cuddled together, they read the afternoon papers announcing their split. After that, they went back to their Desilu ranch — and Desi started coming home on the weekends.”
Ball and Arnaz started dating in 1940 and were wed just a few months after meeting one another. They were married for 20 years before divorcing for good in 1960. Arnaz died in 1986, while Ball passed away just three years later in 1989.
Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television is available now through Simon & Schuster.
How Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Legally Invalidated Their Own Divorce first appeared on Parade on Jun 23, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
