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In 2011, Maria Shriver’s world was ripped apart. Her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s affair with the family’s housekeeper, Mildred Baena, was revealed. The double betrayal by her loved one and employee turned into a public spectacle especially when it came to light that the entanglement produced a son, Joseph.
Fans have heard The Terminator star’s side of the story, but Shriver has remained silent on the situation until now. In her upcoming book out April 1, I Am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home, the 69-year-old journalist shares her side of the story under her own terms. For anyone looking at a play-by-play of events, that won’t be happening.
Instead, Shriver is divulging how the “devastating, life-altering blow” made her feel. In an excerpt obtained by People, she wrote, “It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me. Without my marriage, my parents, a job—the dam of my lifelong capital-D Denial just blew apart.” She and Schwarzenegger had been married for 25 years, and that safety net was completely gone.
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“I was consumed with grief and wracked with confusion, anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety. I was unsure now of who I was, where I belonged. Honestly, it was brutal, and I was terrified,” she continued. “As I sat on my hotel room floor in the dark, alone with tears streaming down my face, I thought to myself: Maria, this doesn’t have to be the end of you.”
With help from “various therapists, healers, shamans, and psychics,” she healed her heart and ended the “self-pity party” that she had wallowed in for some time. The strength she eventually found was enough for her to realize she deserved better — she left Schwarzenegger.
What was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reaction?
The former governor was frank about his mistakes in his 2023 Netflix docuseries, Arnold, when he admitted that he “crushed” his ex-wife with the affair admission.
“Maria and I went to counseling once a week, and in one of the sessions the counselor said, ‘I think today Maria wants to be very specific about something. She wants to know if you are the father of Joseph,’” Schwarzenegger recalled. “I thought my heart stopped, and then I told the truth.” The damage had a ripple effect on his family.
“I think that I have caused enough pain for my family because of my f— up,” he added. “Everyone had to suffer. Maria had to suffer. The kids had to suffer. Joseph. His mother. Everyone. I am going to have to live with it the rest of my life.”
For Shriver, the pain is still fresh even though she’s moved on. It’s why she’s telling readers of her new book, “Now, much has been written about the end of my marriage, and frankly I don’t feel like I need or want to discuss it here, or anywhere.” Shriver has spoken her truth.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrity couples who have stayed together after cheating scandals.
