Arnold Schwarzenegger met Maria Shiver, in 1977, and the two started dating shortly. Arnold Schwarzenegger made some unique career transitions since then. He started with professional bodybuilding, then switched to acting, and made his second switch to politics. These career switches impacted not only Arnold but also Maria.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger fit perfectly in almost every role led people to have increased expectations. The toll of fulfilling everyone’s expectations wasn’t faced by Arnold Schwarzenegger alone but by his then-wife, Maria Shriver.

Maria Shriver was expected to continue the Kennedy legacy

Maria Shriver hails from a political family background. She was the niece of 35th US President John Kennedy and, in 2003, became the first lady of California. In an interview with Oprah in 2008, Shriver revealed how her family impacted the world.

Shriver’s uncle inspired people up to an extent that they joined Peace Corps or public service. When her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, became the governor, people expected Maria to be like her aunt, Jacqueline Kennedy. “When I became First Lady of California, people came up to me and said, I hope you’re going to be like your aunt Jackie,” said Shriver.

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Some people were enraged as they thought Maria Shriver would bring forward the Republican Legacy. Maria added, “Others were angry because they thought I’d brought the Kennedy legacy to a Republican: Shame on you, they’d say. You should be mortified“.

The relationship Arnold Schwarzenegger and Shriver share now

Shriver also revealed that she had never thought Arnold would step into making a political career. Shriver also lost her job at NBC as soon as she became the state’s First Lady. Maria’s job meant a lot to her because she chose a career path different from her entire family.

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger got engaged in 1985 and married in 1986. Together, they parented four children, Katherine, Patrick, Christopher, and Christina. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria spent 25 years of their married life together but decided to part ways in 2011.

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As soon as it was revealed that Schwarzenegger fathered a son with his housekeeper, Maria decided to file a divorce. Their divorce was finalized in 2021, but the two still share a close bond with all their children.