“If You Pose With Those Girls…”: Ex-Wife Maria Shriver Gave Arnold Schwarzenegger a Brutal Reality Check as He Was Losing Sight of His Goal Once

When Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to make it big in Hollywood, his then-partner Maria Shriver was a woman with a plan. The star’s transition from bodybuilding to movies was a huge jump, but with Shriver with him, he could focus on his goals without straying away. In their early days of courtship, the journalist was already helping Schwarzenegger aim for the moon.

In his book, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, Schwarzenegger revealed the details of his career and journey through stardom. Amidst this, his relationship with Shriver blossomed as he rose to prominence in Hollywood. Here’s an excerpt from his book where he recalled his now ex-wife’s reality check.

Arnold Schwarzenegger once strayed away from his path for a fun photoshoot

Getting popular as a bodybuilder in the 70s and 80s meant fame, fandom, and loads of fun pictures. Schwarzenegger would often partake in such photoshoots, while even providing ideas of his own. In one such shoot in 1978, about six months after he had just met Shriver, the bodybuilder was preparing for a saucy time at the studio.

The photo session was for Playgirl magazine and aimed at highlighting his German roots in a fun way. Schwarzenegger’s photographer friend sat down to brainstorm with him. His idea was to get a traditional German beer hall, but instead of having stout old women serving beer and snacks, he wanted something else. Since the magazine popularly featured suggestive images, he thought of getting a group of young bare-chested women.

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While the photographer loved the idea, Shriver had her doubts. She questioned the purpose of the shoot. What was Arnie trying to convey? And most importantly, would this shoot eventually lead to producers approaching the bodybuilder for roles? She remarked, “I thought you wanted to go into movies. So, if you pose with those girls with their t**s hanging out, is that going make producers say, ‘Hey, wow! I want this guy’? I doubt it”. Arnie agreed and the concept was modified. However, this wasn’t the only eye-popping shoot that the bodybuilder did.

Arnold’s another controversial shoot from the 70s

The 70s saw yet another photoshoot that involved Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, it came under public scrutiny due to the context that it carried. Spy Magazine did a story on how press manipulation affected the bodybuilder. In the process, they received an unsolicited picture of Arnie, fully naked, posing in a studio.

The magazine decided to publish it since it went with the theme. However, the general public did not receive it well, and criticism came pouring in. Later, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Schwarzenegger declared that he wasn’t ashamed of the shoot in any way. In fact, he didn’t have anything to hide. His bold takes and open nature eventually got him more fans over the years.

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