The Untold Story of How Lucille Ball Landed on FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's Government Watch List Revealed on What Would’ve Been TV Star’s 114th Birthday
Lucille Ball was once investigated by the FBI for registering to vote as a Communist.
Aug. 7 2025, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Lucille Ball may be known for creating one of the most iconic shows in TV history, but she also once found herself on the FBI watchlist.
RadarOnline.com can reveal why notorious FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was keeping tabs on the I Love Lucy star as the beloved actress would have celebrated her 114th birthday on August 6.
Investigation
The FBI and House Un-American Activities Committee learned Ball registered to vote as a Communist in 1936.
The legendary redhead caught the attention of the FBI and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1953 when it was discovered she registered to vote as a Communist in 1936.
At the time, Hoover was on a rampage to rid the country of any hint of communism and was conducting secret surveillance of suspected members of the Communist Party, including celebrities.
Hoover called for an investigation of Ball, who ended up voluntarily meeting with the HUAC to clear the air on her scandalous voter registration record.
Ball explained to the committee she only registered as a communist to appease her ultra left-leaning grandfather and never actually self-identified as a Communist. The actress was registered as a Communist from 1936 to 1938.
Cleared of Serious Allegations
Ball insisted she only registered as a Communist to appease her grandfather.
Investigation documents also noted: "Ball stated she has never been a member of the Communist party."
Before Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz, filmed episode 68 of their sitcom, the actor addressed rumors about his wife's political affiliation.
He jokingly told the studio audience: "The only thing red about Lucy is her hair, and even that's not legitimate."
While the FBI probe eventually led nowhere and Ball was cleared of any serious allegations, the widely publicized incident nearly ended her career.
Ball was cleared of any serious allegations but the FBI continued to maintain a file on her.
After the investigation closed, the agency maintained a file on Ball and Arnaz, who was also suspected of being a Communist.
Hoover continued to bug the couple by looking into Arnaz's background following a tip from an FBI informant who claimed the Cuban-born actor was "a card-carrying member of the Cuban Communist party."
Thankfully for Ball and Arnaz, the probe went nowhere as the government quickly learned the I Love Lucy star fled Cuba in 1933 following a coup.
Communist allegations were not the only scandals to plague Ball's marriage.
Cheating Scandal
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The comedian was also involved in a cheating scandal.
Infidelity, alcohol abuse, and resentment were said to be major factors in the couple's divorce in 1960 after 20 years of marriage.
Arnaz allegedly cheated on Ball often, with some reports claiming the actor slept with multiple women a week.
Years after their divorce, Arnaz confirmed in his memoir he was unfaithful to Ball, but alleged she also cheated on him.
He wrote: "The more our love life deteriorated, the more we fought, the less sex we had. The more unhappy we were, the more I worked, and the more I drank … At this point, I hadn’t slept in the master bedroom for almost a year … So I began to fill my needs elsewhere. And so did she."
