Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger split with Maria Shriver? Real reason explored

Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken on many ventures in his life and has achieved great heights in many of them. Aside from being glorified as the greatest bodybuilder to ever grace the sport, he has managed to have a successful political career as the Governor of California and an ultra-successful run in Hollywood as a great actor. The bodybuilding legend is also widely known to be a family man, often talking about how important his family is to him.

Arnold married American journalist and author Maria Shiver in 1986 and their relationship came into the public eye when they officially announced their split-up in 2011.

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The Schwarzenegger-Shriver split

As is usually the case when celebrity couples split up, their relationship was put under the microscope by the papparazi. It became clear that Arnold had been dishonest in their relationship.

In 2011, The Los Angeles Times, in conversation with Arnold, revealed that he had a relationship with Mildred Patricia Baena, an employee of Guatemalan descent in their household at the time. Their relationship gave birth to Joseph Baena, the weightlifting actor, who was born in 1997, five days after the birth of Arnold and Shriver's son Christopher.

Speaking to the LA Times after leaving the Governor's office, he said:

"After leaving the governor's office, I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago."

It was later on revealed that he only confessed to his then-wife Shriver when she confronted him on the matter after speaking to the housekeeper Baena.

In 2015, Schwarzenegger spoke on The Howard Stern Show and addressed his upcoming divorce:

"I had personal setbacks, but this was, without any doubt, the biggest setback and the biggest failure. Without any doubt. Not only failure, but you feel like, ‘I’m to blame for it. It was me that screwed up.’ And you can’t point the finger at anyone else."

Although he was dishonest in his marriage, Arnold Schwarzenegger took full responsibility for his actions, even financially. To their credit, Arnold and Shriver have managed to handle their split up quietly and without any ill will.

Apparently, according a report from the New York Post, a mutual friend of theirs stated that the relationship between Arnold and Shriver post-split was rather friendly and that they are "very close".

Although the split occurred the moment Shriver found out about his illicit relationship, the divorce was only finalized in December 2021. The reason as to why the divorce took so long is a matter of speculation, with some claiming it to be financial and others, intimate, with the two being unwilling to let each other go.

The New York Post also stated that Arnold may have plans to marry his girlfriend Heather Milligan, whom he has been dating since 2013.

While this may be a blip on his rather flawless character, there is no doubt that Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the greatest personalities ever. He has inspired a great many athletes with his work, his words, and his books.