Maria Shriver Reveals Painful Aftermath of Arnold Schwarzenegger Split
Maria Shriver has publicly disclosed the emotional toll of her separation from Arnold Schwarzenegger, following his shocking confession.
The Infidelity and Its Revelation
In 2011, Schwarzenegger, Shriver’s then-husband, admitted to fathering a son, Joseph Baena, with Mildred Baena, their former housekeeper, during their marriage. Joseph Baena was born in 1997 and is currently 27 years old. Shriver was unaware of her husband’s paternity until Schwarzenegger’s disclosure years later.
Shriver, aged 69, separated from Schwarzenegger, aged 77, after his admission of infidelity and the existence of his child. However, their divorce proceeded over several years before it was officially finalized.
“I Am Maria”: Poetry as a Path to Healing
Shriver is releasing a poetry collection, titled “I Am Maria.” Extracts obtained by People Magazine shed light on the depth of her anguish and her endeavors to mend her heartbreak after the act of betrayal.
The journalist, who married Schwarzenegger in 1986 and shares children Katherine, Patrick (31), Christina (33), and Christopher (27) with him, described the separation as a “brutal” and “life-altering event.”
This upheaval occurred shortly after Shriver experienced the loss of both her parents. Her mother, Eunice Shriver, passed away in 2009, followed by the death of her father, Sargent Shriver, in 2011.
Maria Shriver has exposed the painful aftermath of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s betrayal, which led to the dissolution of their marriage.
Schwarzenegger had an affair with his then-housekeeper Mildred Baena, resulting in their son Joseph Baena’s birth; the pair are pictured here.
Emotional Breakdown and Search for Identity
Coupled with the conclusion of her role as First Lady of California after her then-husband’s term in office, Shriver stated that the separation “shattered what was left of me.”
“Then, eighteen months later, chaos erupted. My role as First Lady concluded. My father passed away. And then another devastating, life-altering blow occurred: my twenty-five-year marriage imploded. It broke my heart, my spirit, and what remained of me,” she recounted.
“Without my marriage, my parents, a job—the floodgates of my lifelong Denial simply collapsed,” she explained.
Shriver commended her children for the “grace, valor, and courage” they displayed after their worlds were instantly “disrupted” by the betrayal, which left her struggling with her sense of self.
“I was overwhelmed with grief and consumed by confusion, anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety. I was uncertain of my identity and belonging. Frankly, it was incredibly difficult, and I was terrified.”
“As I sat alone in my hotel room in the dark, tears streaming down my face, I thought: Maria, this is not your end.”
Seeking Solace and Healing
Following this low point, Shriver embarked on a journey to seek healing through therapists, shamans, and psychics, including a retreat to a cloistered convent.
Schwarzenegger has developed a cordial relationship with Joseph since the affair became public.
Shriver expressed struggle with relinquishing her role as First Lady of California prior to Schwarzenegger’s confession.
During their marriage, they had four children together: Christopher, Katherine, Christina, and Patrick.
“I won’t detail my self-pity. I’ll also omit a list of my visits to therapists, healers, shamans, and psychics.”
During her time at the convent, a nun offered her comfort with insightful words and a hug.
“I even traveled across the country to a cloistered convent. At the end of my residency, Mother Dolores took me aside and, in a moment reminiscent of “The Sound of Music,” said, ‘Maria, I understand you enjoy it here. But if you’re considering living with us, our age limit is fifty, and you’re fifty-five!'”
“She added, ‘I believe you are seeking permission to leave your marriage, to be Maria.’ She hugged me, and we both wept.”
Poetry as Therapy and Self-Discovery
Poetry became an integral part of Shriver’s healing process, providing a release after a life of meeting high expectations and suppressing emotions.
“I began writing from a deeply personal place. Through my poetry, I discovered a woman terrified of failing to uphold her family’s legacy—fearing she wasn’t sufficiently accomplished as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and journalist.”
“I found a woman who imposed an unattainable standard, ensuring inadequacy and self-reproach. I found someone who had spent a lifetime avoiding grief. And I also learned that accumulated grief and trauma, when released, surges like a tsunami.”
Joseph and his mother at his graduation from Pepperdine University, also attended by Arnold.
Shriver and Schwarzenegger married in 1986, nearly nine years after their initial meeting; pictured in 2006.
Timeline of Marriage and Divorce
Shriver and Schwarzenegger married in 1986, almost nine years after they first met. They separated in 2011, and their divorce was finalized in 2021.
Schwarzenegger’s Account of the Revelation
Schwarzenegger recalled the moment he informed Shriver about his 1996 infidelity and Joseph in his 2023 docuseries, “Arnold.”
During a marriage counseling session in 2011, the counselor stated, “‘Today Maria wants to be very specific,'” he reveals. “‘She wants to know if you’re Joseph’s father.'”
The former governor of California stated, “I thought my heart stopped. And then I told the truth. ‘Yes, Maria. Joseph is my son.’ She was clearly devastated.”
The actor clarified that initially, both he and Mildred assumed Joseph was her husband Rogelio’s, and she continued working for the Schwarzenegger family. “In the beginning, I truly didn’t know, but as he grew older, it became increasingly evident.”
“It then became a question of, ‘How do we keep this secret?'” Arnold stated in the documentary.
Early Relationship and Marriage
The actor first met Maria, niece of President John F. Kennedy, at a tennis match in August 1977. Arnold proposed to Shriver in his native Austria in 1985.
The couple wed the following year, 1986, in a romantic ceremony at the Kennedy family home in Massachusetts. He described it as the “biggest wedding I’ve ever attended” and expressed feeling like “the luckiest son of a b***h in life.”
The couple’s marriage ultimately ended in 2021; pictured circa 1986.
Family and Schwarzenegger’s Regret
Throughout their 25-year marriage, they welcomed daughters Katherine and Christina, and sons Patrick and Christopher. Christopher was born shortly before Joseph.
Regarding the affair, Arnold admitted it was his “greatest failure” and stated, “I have caused immense pain to my family because of my mistake. Everyone suffered. Maria suffered, the children suffered, Joseph, his mother, everyone.”
The “True Lies” star confessed, “I will have to live with that for the rest of my life.” Following the affair’s revelation, Mildred separated from her husband, and Schwarzenegger provided support for her and Joseph, purchasing them a home with a pool in California in 2010.
The housekeeper retired in 2011, the same year Maria ended her relationship with Arnold, leading to their separation. She filed for divorce in July 2011, which was not officially concluded until 2021.
“People will remember my successes and also my failures. I’ve had career failures, but this was a new level of failure. I am very grateful that Maria and I successfully raised our children,” the former bodybuilder stated.
Positive Relationship with Joseph Baena
Schwarzenegger has cultivated a positive relationship with Joseph over the years. The former bodybuilder enjoys working out with him and, along with Mildred, attended his graduation from Pepperdine University in 2019.