Arnold Schwarzenegger says ex-wife Maria Shriver despised the idea of him running for governor in California and thought a political campaign would destroy their family.
In the “FUBAR” actor’s “Arnold” documentary, out Wednesday, he revealed he wasn’t going to run unless Shriver was “100 percent behind it.”
“I was sitting with her in a jacuzzi, and I said, ‘What do you think of me running for governor?’” the 75-year-old continued, according to People. “She flipped out. I almost felt like she was hyperventilating.”
According to Schwarzenegger, Shriver thought a political campaign would “drag” their family “through the mud,” so he “pulled back.”
However, the former journalist finally came around right before Schwarzenegger announced his intentions to run on “The Tonight Show” in 2003.
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“The morning of ‘The Tonight Show,’ Maria put a note under my door that said, ‘In case you decide to run here’s what I would say and here’s if you decide not to run what I would say,’” the bodybuilder-turned-actor recalled. “I felt like Maria for the first time was open to the idea.”
Despite Shriver’s initial hesitancy, she was no stranger when it came to politics. In fact, she was the niece of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy.
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The “Terminator” star was eventually sworn in as the 38th governor of California, ousting Gray Davis from the position. He went on to serve two terms before leaving office in 2011.
However, Schwarzenegger admitted that being governor was “very tough on my relationship with Maria and the kids.”
Elsewhere in the documentary, the actor detailed the moment he told Shriver about his 1996 affair with Mildred Baena, their former housekeeper.
During a 2011 marriage counseling session, he was reportedly asked a “very specific” question at his then-wife’s request.
“She wants to know if you’re the father of Joseph,” the counselor wondered, referencing Baena’s son, who was born in 1997.
The former governor says his “heart stopped” in that moment, but he decided to tell the “truth” and admit that Joseph was his son.
Despite his honesty, the 67-year-old “was obviously crushed” by the confession and filed for divorce soon after.
Along with Joseph, 25, Schwarzenegger is also father to Katherine, 33, Christina, 31, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25, with Shriver