Maria Shriver: Life, Divorce, Current Partner, and Family

Few public figures have had to rebuild a life quite so publicly as Maria Shriver. In 2011, the Kennedy-family journalist and former California first lady learned that her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had fathered a child with a member of their household staff, news that turned her private life into a global story — and more than a decade later, she has rebuilt herself around Alzheimer’s advocacy, writing, and a surprisingly steady family truce.

Age: 69 (born November 6, 1955) ·
Net worth: Approximately $200 million (estimated) ·
Children: 4 (Katherine, Christina, Patrick, Christopher) ·
Former spouse: Arnold Schwarzenegger (married 1986–2021) ·
Current relationship status: Single (as of 2025) ·
Occupation: Journalist, author, activist

Eight reference points, one pattern: the woman behind the scandal headlines was a Peabody- and Emmy-winning journalist and producer (Special Olympics International) who co-anchored the Sunday edition of Today, spent years as a network correspondent, and wrote multiple books (Maria Shriver official website) — a professional identity she built before, and kept after, her marriage to Schwarzenegger.

Why did Maria leave Arnold Schwarzenegger?

The short answer: she left because the marriage was built on a secret that could not survive disclosure. In 2011, Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted he had fathered a child with Mildred Baena, a woman who had worked in the family’s household. The child, Joseph Baena, was born in 1997, more than a decade before that admission. Maria separated from Arnold in January 2011, reportedly after learning the truth, and the couple announced their split publicly in May of that year (People magazine).

When did the affair become public?

• Late 1990s: the affair between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Baena took place
• 1997: Joseph Baena was born
• January 2011: Maria reportedly learned the truth
• May 2011: the couple announced their separation
• 2011: Arnold publicly admitted paternity

The revelation came as Schwarzenegger was finishing his final term as governor of California. The couple had been married since 1986 and shared four children. Maria filed for divorce in July 2011, and the case was not finalized until December 2021 (People magazine).

What was Maria’s immediate reaction?

By the public record, her reaction was decisive: she separated from Arnold, filed for divorce, and began building a separate life. The decade-long divorce process reflected how deeply the couple’s finances, careers, and family life were intertwined.

The implication: this was not a marriage that ended in one dramatic moment. It ended twice — first privately, when trust broke, then publicly, when the story became global news.

Did Maria Shriver ever forgive Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Yes, by her own account. In a 2021 interview with Hoda Kotb on NBC News, Maria said she had forgiven Arnold, explaining that for the sake of their children they had to move forward. People, which has followed the couple for decades, has characterized the post-divorce relationship as cooperative, with both focused on their children (People magazine).

Have they remained on speaking terms?

• They coordinate around their four children’s milestones
• Maria has said they have “a relationship” and co-parent successfully
• They are not close friends in a conventional sense, but they maintain a respectful dynamic

Since the divorce, the two have appeared together at family events, including moments centered on their children. Maria has been consistent in public: forgiveness was a decision she made for the family, not an endorsement of what happened.

Have they been seen together publicly since the divorce?

Yes — at graduations, birthdays, and other family gatherings. The public record shows a couple that stopped being married but never stopped being parents.

The implication: “forgiveness” here is less a feeling than a working arrangement. Maria chose a functioning blended family over a permanently broken one.

How much money did Maria Shriver get from Arnold Schwarzenegger?

The honest answer is that nobody outside the couple’s legal teams knows. The settlement was never publicly disclosed, and neither party has confirmed a figure. Everything else is estimate.

Did Maria receive a lump sum or ongoing spousal support?

• Settlement terms: confidential
• No public record of ongoing spousal support
• Celebrity-finance estimates at the time ranged into the tens of millions

Because the couple’s assets were extensive and their earning careers ran in parallel, the financial settlement was always going to be complicated. The decade-long negotiation, from 2011 to 2021, suggests a division that took years to untangle rather than a simple lump-sum arrangement.

What was Arnold’s net worth at the time of divorce?

• Arnold’s estimated net worth when the divorce began: $300–400 million
• Maria’s estimated net worth today: around $200 million
• Neither figure has been audited or confirmed by either party

Maria entered the marriage with her own resources: a Kennedy-family inheritance, a journalism career, and earnings from multiple books. The $200 million net-worth figure frequently attached to her name blends inherited wealth, earned income, and any settlement proceeds — but no public record breaks those categories down.

The catch: the longer the divorce dragged on, the more the financial narrative was colored by rumor. A decade of confidential negotiations means even well-sourced reporting was working from estimates, not ledgers.

Who is Maria Shriver’s partner now?

As of 2025, Maria Shriver is not publicly known to be in a relationship, and she has not remarried. Her official biography describes a life organized around her four children, her writing, and her advocacy — with no partner in the narrative (Maria Shriver official website).

Is Maria Shriver dating anyone?

• No confirmed partners since the divorce
• She has not been publicly linked to anyone since her split from Arnold
• She lives primarily in Los Angeles and keeps her private life out of the spotlight

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Maria has never confirmed being single, but she has also not been seen or reported with a partner since her divorce. The public record is simply quiet.

Has she remarried?

No. Her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger legally ended in December 2021, and she has not remarried. Arnold, by contrast, has reportedly been in a relationship with physical therapist Heather Milligan since around 2013, though the couple rarely discusses their private life.

The pattern: Shriver’s silence about her private life is itself the story. She has chosen to be known for her work and family, not for speculation about her love life.

Does Maria Shriver get along with Joseph Baena?

By every available public signal, yes. Maria has reportedly been gracious and welcoming toward Joseph Baena, and there is no public record of tension between them. Joseph, for his part, has spoken warmly about the family that accepted him.

How does Maria treat Joseph Baena?

• Reports describe Maria as gracious and welcoming toward Joseph
• Joseph has never publicly criticized Maria or her children
• No public conflicts between Maria and Joseph are on record

The relationship is one of the least documented parts of this story, in part because both Maria and Joseph have chosen discretion. What is on the record is positive: Joseph has said he feels accepted by the Schwarzenegger–Shriver family.

Do Arnold’s other children have a relationship with Joseph?

Joseph has described a “great relationship” with his half-siblings Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. The half-siblings have been photographed together at family events, and Joseph has said the family was nothing but welcoming when he entered their lives.

The implication: the blended family is the quiet success story of the past decade. A child conceived in secrecy has been folded into the public family in a way that serves everyone, especially Joseph.

Key dates in the Shriver–Schwarzenegger timeline

Ten dates capture the arc: a Kennedy-family wedding in 1986, a secret child born in 1997, a public split in 2011, and a divorce finalized a decade later.

Why this matters: a 10-year divorce does not just end a marriage; it redefines it. The timeline shows two people learning to co-exist long before they legally stopped being married.

What’s confirmed vs. what’s still unclear

Separating the documented record from the rumor mill matters here more than in most celebrity stories, because the gaps between them are where the tabloid version of Maria Shriver lives.

The trade-off: the more precisely Maria’s public story is told, the more obvious the private gaps become — and the more tabloid coverage fills them with guesses.

In their own words

“I have forgiven him. It’s not easy, but for the sake of our children, we have to move forward.”

Maria Shriver, in a 2021 interview with Hoda Kotb on NBC News

“I have apologized to Maria and my children.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his 2012 memoir “Total Recall”

“They’ve been nothing but welcoming. We have a great relationship.”

Joseph Baena, in a 2022 interview about his half-siblings

What these three voices share is restraint. Each chose words carefully, knowing the public was listening — and that care, more than any single headline, defines how this family talks about its past.

The decade after the fall

The pattern from Shriver’s public record is consistent: the same discipline that made her a Peabody- and Emmy-winning journalist carried her through the divorce, the blended-family negotiations, and the slow work of forgiveness. For anyone following the story, the real headline was never the affair — it was the decade of unglamorous reconstruction that followed. For Maria Shriver, the decision is clear: keep converting her platform into advocacy and writing that outlasts the tabloid cycle — or cede the narrative to a scandal that stopped being the real story years ago.

Frequently asked questions

The pattern: the questions people ask about Maria Shriver reveal more about celebrity culture than about her — the most-searched topics are the ones with the least public documentation.

Related reading

• Amal Clooney: The Barrister Behind the Headlines
• Victoria Starmer: Biography, Career, Family & Public Life