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Maria Shriver Details “Brutal” Divorce From Arnold Schwarzenegger
Maria Shriver understandably needed immoderate clip to process what happened betwixt her and ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger.
She adjacent got herself to a nunnery astatine 1 point, similar "a country retired of The Sound of Music," the parent of 4 shared.
"I had ne'er fixed myself support to feel, to beryllium vulnerable, to beryllium weak, to beryllium brought to my knees, and the satellite did it to me," Shriver explained connected the Making Space With Hoda Kotb podcast successful 2023. "And past I was like, 'Okay, God, let's go. I'm gonna instrumentality this and larn everything I tin astir my relation and what I request to learn.'"
And yet she didn't genuinely lick the occupation of Maria until she started penning poetry. And that's erstwhile the information astir what she experienced truly came flooding out, galore of her verses ripped from—as she wrote successful her caller publication I Am Maria—"a spot of fear, shame, confusion, and darkness."
Not that each of those aggravated emotions derived only from the implosion of her matrimony to Schwarzenegger aft 25 years, the past 7 of which they spent arsenic politician and archetypal woman of California.
But it turned retired that the poise she showed successful those archetypal weeks, months and adjacent years aft their shocking May 2011 divided announcement was a construct. On the inside, she was broken.
River Callaway/Variety via Getty Images
"It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was near of me," Shriver wrote in I Am Maria. "Without my marriage, my parents, a job—the dam of my lifelong capital-D Denial conscionable blew apart."
Shriver's parent Eunice Shriver—one of President John F. Kennedy's 8 siblings—had died successful 2009 and dada Sargent Shriver passed connected Jan. 18, 2011, 2 weeks aft Schwarzenegger near office. And Shriver, a seasoned journalist, hadn't been plying her commercialized portion her hubby was governor.
The scion of America's most celebrated Democratic governmental dynasty and Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-born Republican movie prima who served successful President George H.W. Bush's administration, whitethorn person been improbable spouses connected paper, but they were a existent powerfulness couple.
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And they had been done a batch already, including groping allegations against Schwarzenegger that yet didn't wounded his candidacy for California politician successful a 2003 callback predetermination that saw him regenerate Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. (He admitted during a run rally that helium had "behaved severely sometimes" and apologized.)
So erstwhile they did divided up, it felt arsenic if it came retired of nowhere. Only, arsenic the remainder of the satellite soon recovered out, it astir surely did not.
NY Daily News via Getty Images
In the 2023 Netflix docuseries Arnold, Schwarzenegger recalled the infinitesimal helium admitted to his woman that helium had fathered a son—Joseph Baena—with their family's housekeeper Mildred Baena.
Because seemingly Shriver had her suspicions.
"Maria and I went to counseling erstwhile a week," the Terminator prima said. "And successful 1 of the sessions the counsellor said, 'I deliberation contiguous Maria wants to beryllium precise circumstantial astir something. She wants to cognize if you are the begetter of Joseph.' And I was like—I thought my bosom stopped, and past I told the truth."
He himself hadn't always known that Joseph was his son, Schwarzenegger noted, but helium had known by past for a agelong time.
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Shriver "was crushed due to the fact that of that," helium continued successful the series. "I had an matter successful '96. In the opening I truly didn't know. I conscionable started feeling the older helium got the much it became wide to maine and past it was truly conscionable a substance of however bash you support this quiet? How bash you support this a secret?"
No longer a secret, Shriver had to sorb her husband's confession.
"As I sat connected the edifice country level successful the dark, terrified and unsocial with tears streaming down my face," she wrote successful I Am Maria, "I thought to myself: Maria, this doesn't person to beryllium the extremity of the you. It can't beryllium the extremity of you. Make it a caller opening of you."
However, that didn't marque her immoderate little "consumed with grief and wracked with confusion, anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety. I felt emotionally bereft and disconnected from beingness arsenic I knew it."
The extremity of her matrimony "broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was near of me," she wrote. "I was unsure present of who I was, wherever I belonged, oregon who I belonged to. Honestly, it was brutal, and I was terrified."
Chelsea Lauren/FilmMagic
But she was besides a parent of four—Katherine Schwarzenegger, Christina Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Christopher Schwarzenegger (who were 21, 19, 17 and 13 astatine the time)—and, arsenic a subordinate of the Kennedy family, a lifelong nationalist figure.
So she kept her cool.
And astir 5 months later, she and Schwarzenegger announced their separation.
"This has been a clip of large idiosyncratic and nonrecreational modulation for each of us," they said successful a associated statement. "After a large woody of thought, reflection, treatment and prayer, we came to this determination together. At this time, we are surviving isolated portion we enactment connected the aboriginal of our relationship."
Days later, Schwarzenegger revealed that helium had a 5th child, noting that helium told his woman aft helium near office.
"I person apologized to Maria, my children and my family," helium said successful a statement. "I americium genuinely sorry."
Shriver said successful a consequent statement, "This is simply a achy and heartbreaking time. As a mother, my interest is for the children. I inquire for compassion, respect and privateness arsenic my children and I effort to rebuild our lives and heal."
She filed for divorce connected July 1, 2011. Which, successful and of itself, was a struggle. (Though not because it wasn't finalized for 10 years.)
"I grew up reasoning divorcement was a sin," Shriver wrote successful her 2018 publication I've Been Thinking...: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life. "I couldn't person been much wrong."
And, she wrote, "I ever thought radical whose marriages didn’t enactment retired were quitters. I was wrong. I bash respect radical who enactment astatine their marriages, but I besides respect those who illustration a caller mode forward. And I truly respect those who negociate to enactment friends aft their marriages are implicit — and aren’t acrophobic to effort emotion again aft being hurt."
Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger didn't code his matter again for years, yet breaking his silence successful 2015 connected The Howard Stern Show.
"I had idiosyncratic setbacks, but this was without immoderate uncertainty the biggest setback and the biggest failure," the histrion said. "And not lone failure, but you truly consciousness like, 'I americium to blasted for it. It was maine that screwed up.' And you can't constituent the digit astatine anyone else."
He ever tried to ace being a dad, though, including to now-27-year-old Joseph, explaining, "I privation to marque definite I wage arsenic overmuch attraction arsenic possible. I privation the kids to cognize however overmuch I emotion them, however large they are. I emotion being a father. I emotion trying to spell each retired and to beryllium arsenic bully arsenic possible."
Schwarzenegger added, "I conscionable americium precise fortunate for my concern with the kids and Maria and with everyone. We person moved on. We person a large relationship, each of us."
It's unclear whether Shriver would person characterized their narration arsenic large then, but she concurs now.
Michael Tran/FilmMagic
"It took a truly agelong clip to forgive myself, to forgive the full situation," she told Oprah Winfrey connected the March 25 occurrence of The Oprah Podcast. "I deliberation Arnold and I person a large narration now, and I deliberation determination volition ever beryllium a emotion there. As you said, I met him erstwhile I was 21 years old. He’s the begetter of my children. We’re grandparents together. I don’t privation to person hate, I don’t privation to person choler successful my assemblage towards different person. I don’t privation that successful my beingness astatine all.”
She ne'er wanted their children to necessitate abstracted day parties, Shriver explained, oregon for the kids to person to interest astir their parents getting on astatine their weddings. (So far, Katherine shares three children with hubby Chris Pratt and Patrick is engaged to Abby Champion.)
“I didn’t privation what happened betwixt their dada and maine to ruin their lives," Shriver continued. 'It already causes a rupture successful their life, right? But I wanted to exemplary for them a caller mode forward. I anticipation they don’t get divorced due to the fact that I judge successful marriage, but I privation them to cognize that you tin bash it well. It takes time.”
Get to cognize the sprawling Schwarzenegger-Shriver household who person continued to observe each sorts of events together:
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Hasta la vista, baby…bottles! That’s due to the fact that the actor’s kids Katherine Schwarzenegger, Christina Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Chris Schwarzenegger (with ex-wife Maria Shriver) and Joseph Baena (with erstwhile housekeeper Mildred Baena) are each grown up.
So, these days, his favourite rubric is nary longer dad—but grandpa to Katherine and hubby Chris Pratt’s 3 kids together: Lyla, Eloise and Ford.
"It's the easiest happening to beryllium a grandfather," Arnold told Jimmy Kimmel successful 2022. "They travel implicit to the house, you play with Lyla for astir an hr oregon two, enactment her connected the horse, enactment her with the dog. And aft 2 hours, they leave."
Denise Truscello/Getty Images
Maria Shriver
Maria wed Arnold successful 1986, but filed for divorcement successful 2011 aft she learned helium had fathered a kid done his affair.
And her son-in-law Chris applauds the mode the erstwhile archetypal woman of California and her ex co-parented successful the spotlight.
"She and Arnold raised 4 astonishing kids, and that's not ever an casual happening to do," the Guardians of the Galaxy histrion told Today successful May 2024. "You spot radical successful Hollywood oregon radical who’ve got a batch of privilege, and they extremity up benignant of raising rotten kids. So I conscionable privation to benignant of inquire her everything. ‘What’d you do? How did you not spoil them? How did you not ruin them?'"
The evident secret, Chris added, "I deliberation she holds them accountable. When Maria walks successful the room, you basal up. She’s large connected manners, and she’s large connected accountability, and she's profoundly rooted successful her faith. These are each things that I decidedly privation to instrumentality and instrumentality successful the rearing of our children."
Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Prime Video
Patrick Schwarzenegger
Born successful 1993, Patrick is the oldest lad of Arnold and Maria. And portion having parents successful the concern is large and all, he's besides credited his brother-in-law Chris with helping him nab 1 plum part.
"I retrieve erstwhile Chris said, 'Hey you cognize there's this young role, Donny Mitchell, you'll beryllium the youngest successful the platoon," Patrick told Jimmy Kimmel successful 2022 of booking a gig successful the Amazon Prime Video bid The Terminal List. "'But if you privation to get this role, I request you to spell and effort to get into quality and truly get this. I request you to summation 20 pounds and commencement tactical training, and cognize however they move, the assemblage language, each this stuff.'"
Having the accidental to bid with real-life Navy SEALs, helium added, was "a imagination travel true." And much pinch-me moments person followed, with the histrion going connected to play Saxon Ratliff connected The White Lotus and Tim Tebow successful FX's American Sports Story.
But adjacent with each his connections, Patrick makes it wide helium puts successful the hard work.
"I cognize determination are radical who’ll accidental I lone got this relation due to the fact that of who my dada is," Patrick told The Sunday Times successful February 2025 of his portion connected The White Lotus. "They’re not seeing that I’ve had 10 years of acting classes, enactment connected schoolhouse plays each week, worked connected my characters for hours connected extremity oregon the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on."
Soon, he'll beryllium taking connected a caller role: husband. He projected to model Abby Champion successful December 2023.
Cleobella x Katherine Schwarzenegger
Katherine Schwarzenegger
Meanwhile, Katherine is the eldest of the Schwarzenegger kids overall, with Arnold and Maria welcoming her successful 1989.
And now, The Gift of Forgiveness writer has a household of her ain with Chris, who she married successful 2019 aft a twelvemonth of dating.
In 2020, they welcomed girl Lyla. Little sister Eloise entered the world 2 years aboriginal followed by younger member Ford successful 2024.
"When I became a mother, I felt similar everything successful my beingness had led maine close to that babe being enactment connected my chest, and it was perfect," she wrote successful a piece for her parent Maria's website. "Mom is the rubric I person ever wanted and the relation that I person looked guardant to for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember."
Plus, she has a bonus stepson Jack, whom Chris and ex-wife Anna Faris welcomed successful 2012.
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
Chris Pratt
For Chris, household ever comes first.
However, helium was upset erstwhile helium received backlash successful 2021 aft helium praised Katherine connected Instagram for giving him a “gorgeous steadfast daughter," with immoderate societal media users uncovering the station insensitive to Anna and Jack, who was calved premature.
“A clump of articles came retired and said, ‘That’s truthful cringeworthy. I can’t judge Chris Pratt would convey her for a steadfast girl erstwhile his archetypal kid was calved premature. That’s specified a excavation astatine his ex-wife,’" the Parks and Recreation alum told Men’s Health successful 2022. “And I’m like, That is f--ked up. My son’s gonna work that 1 day. He’s 9. And it’s etched successful integer stone. It truly f--king bothered me, dude. I cried astir it. I was like, I hatred that these blessings successful my beingness are—to the radical adjacent to me—a existent burden.”
Jack Pratt
Anna and Chris' lad Jack was calved astir 2 months aboriginal successful August 2012 and spent clip successful the neonatal intensive attraction unit.
"The time came erstwhile I got to instrumentality Jack home,” the histrion recalled astatine a 2021 lawsuit for the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth, “and the archetypal years were filled with doctor's appointments, 5 surgeries, carnal therapy, a batch of laughter—because Jack was and is the astir adorable cutest happening I could ever person imagined.”
Lyla Marie Schwarzenegger Pratt
A small much than a twelvemonth aft Katherine and Chris tied the knot, they welcomed girl Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt in August 2020, her mediate sanction a motion to Katherine’s mother.
And portion Chris keeps overmuch of his family beingness private, helium did stock that Jack was already acing his duties arsenic the older sibling.
"He's truly large with her,” the Jurassic World prima told Entertainment Tonight successful 2021. “She ever wants to propulsion his glasses disconnected his face, and he’s precise diligent with her. He’s a large large brother.”
Eloise Christina Schwarzenegger Pratt
Fast-forward to March 2022, erstwhile Chris and Katherine grew their household with the summation of daughter Eloise Christina Schwarzenegger Pratt.
"I’m miss dada 2.0," the Zero Dark Thirty histrion told E! successful June 2022. "My oldest girl is adjusting precise good to being a large sister. At first, she was kinda like, ‘So, what’s the woody with that thing? What up with that? Look astatine me.’ And now, she’s precise overmuch embraced the idea. She perpetually wants to clasp her sister, and she’s conscionable very, precise sweet. That’s the worldly that’s important. It’s the worldly that beingness is made of, and I consciousness incredibly blessed and filled with joy.”
Instagram / Katherine Schwarzenneger
Ford Fitzgerald Schwarzenegger Pratt
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Christopher Schwarzenegger & Christina Schwarzenegger
Christopher Schwarzenegger is Arnold and Maria's youngest lad together, and Christina Schwarzenegger is their youngest daughter.
Born successful 1997, Christopher has stayed mostly retired of the nationalist eye. He is Vice Chair of the Special Olympics Founder's Council. According to his bio, Christopher is besides the Director of Development astatine accumulation institution Indus Valley Media. He antecedently worked astatine originative contented bureau Malka arsenic good arsenic for sports psychologist Trevor Moawad and is simply a University of Michigan grad with a science degree.
As for Christina, calved successful 1991, she's an enforcement producer—with her past credits including the 2018 documentary Take Your Pills and 2022 doc Take Your Pills: Xanax.
Instagram / Joseph Baena
Joseph Baena
Joseph is Arnold's lad from his matter with then-housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena.
While Joseph was calved successful 1997, Arnold didn't find retired helium was the begetter until overmuch later.
"I had an matter successful '96," The 6th Day alum said successful his 2023 docuseries Arnold. "In the beginning, I truly didn't know. I conscionable started benignant of feeling. The older helium got, the much it became wide to me, and it was past conscionable truly a substance of however bash you support this quiet? How bash you support this a secret?"
While Arnold called the matter a "major failure" successful his life, helium noted that Joseph makes him proud.
"It was incorrect what I did," helium said successful the doc. "But I don't privation to marque Joseph consciousness that he's not invited successful this satellite due to the fact that he's precise overmuch invited successful this world. And I emotion him, and he's turned retired to beryllium an bonzer young man."
Like his dada Arnold, Joseph is an histrion and has a passionateness for fitness. He besides works successful existent property and competed connected play 31 of Dancing With the Stars.
Raymond Hall/GC Images
Anna Faris
Chris and Anna tied the knot successful 2009, but aft 8 years of marriage, they announced their breakup.
Anna (who was antecedently joined to Ben Indra) hinted her beingness with Chris wasn’t arsenic representation cleanable arsenic it whitethorn person seemed.
“I'm definite things were much transparent with my narration with Ben,” she said connected a 2021 occurrence of her podcast Unqualified, “but with Chris, I deliberation that we some protected that imagery adjacent wrong our adjacent circles."
And Anna—who is present joined to cinematographer Michael Barrett—suggested being successful the aforesaid manufacture arsenic her exes didn’t help.
“My 2 different marriages were with actors, and I don’t deliberation we did a large occupation of eliminating competitiveness—or astatine slightest I didn’t,” she shared connected another episode of her podcast aboriginal that year. “Being a arrogant idiosyncratic and not wanting to uncover vulnerability, immoderate hints of competitiveness and comparison, I didn’t grip that precise well, I don’t think, and I anticipation I’ve grown from that.”
