Maria Shriver's Post-Divorce Transformation Is Impossible To Ignore

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When Maria Shriver first crossed paths with actor and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, at a tennis tournament, it was love at first sight. Schwarzenegger gushed over that first meeting in a chat with "60 Minutes," saying, "I was fascinated by her ... because she had an extraordinary look. She had the dark hair that I always loved in women. She had this big smile. She had the most extraordinary personality." One thing led to another, and the lovebirds tied the knot in a posh wedding in 1986 that was attended by political elites and numerous celebrities.

All was well in the Shriver-Schwarzenegger household until all hell broke loose in 2011. Shriver discovered that Schwarzenegger had an affair with their former house staff member, Mildred Baena, that he had hidden for over a decade. The duo shares a son named Joseph Baena, who is a spitting image of the "Terminator" actor. The unfortunate news broke just as Mildred retired after working for the family for 20 years, and afterward, Shriver moved out of the couple's shared home and filed for divorce.

According to reports, Shriver sought spousal support from Schwarzenegger as well as joint custody of their children. She wanted the marriage dissolved on the grounds of irreconcilable differences, which wasn't granted until 10 years later. The divorce turned out to be pretty expensive, with Shriver reportedly walking away with half of the actor's $300 million fortune. Moreover, Shriver has undergone a major transformation in various aspects of her life, including a change in beliefs and how she now relates to Schwarzenegger.

Maria Shriver was critical of other people prior to her divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's a habit that the former journalist said was influenced by her religious upbringing. "I grew up in a very kind of strict Catholic household and I think, you know, I was raised with a judgmental God, and I don't believe in that anymore," Shriver shared in a March 2018 interview with Access Hollywood. "I believe that all religion is based in love and the less judgmental we are across our life, the better we are."

Shriver opined that we should all be less involved in other people's business, even though social media has made it harder for us to do so. It's a practice that she has since taught her own children, as she continues to spread a new gospel of compassion. Shriver uses social media as a tool to encourage her followers to radiate positivity, and, in 2025, on one Sunday evening message on Instagram, she wrote in part, "Let us remember to lead with love over fear. With facts over lies. With compassion over judgement."

Shriver's message of being gentler does not only extend to others; she has also given herself a lot of grace. In an undated article shared on her website, the former journalist delved into ways in which she was being softer toward herself: spending less time being fearful, being less anxious, and embracing solitude. She also encouraged her audience to free themselves from constant worry and choose family over work as a way of being kinder to themselves.

Maria Shriver held onto some strong beliefs for years, which ultimately changed as she went through a divorce. First, the former journalist thought that "divorce was a huge sin," as she admitted in a 2021 interview with "The Ed Mylett Show." In her 2018 release "I've Been Thinking...: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life," Shriver explained that she thought that people whose marriages ended "were quitters" (via E!). She expressed admiration for couples who stick around in the face of difficulty and make it work, but also maintained that there was no harm in choosing to walk away.

Divorce also altered Shriver's perspective on aging and relationships. "I never believed I'd be sitting here single at my age," Shriver remarked in her chat with "The Ed Mylett Show," adding that she previously held the opinion that something could be wrong with someone who was single in their sixties. It was a topic Shriver delved into in her 2025 book "I am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home," in which she disclosed that she had tied her worth to having a partner but has since discovered that she's still valuable and likable without one.

Although Maria Shriver made a name for herself in the world of journalism, she was raised as one of the prominent members of America's most popular political families — the Kennedys. Maria's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was the sister of former President John F. Kennedy. Per Maria's account, her upbringing didn't allow room for vulnerability; not even the infamous 1963 assassination of the former president was up for discussion.

"We didn't discuss feelings in my house," Maria recalled in an interview with "The Oprah Podcast." "My mother had a saying where she would say, 'I don't want to hear one yip out of you.'" Maria added that Eunice wasn't so stern as a way of being unkind; she just wanted to "keep it moving." However, Maria's perspective shifted during her divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

She paid a visit to a convent as part of her healing journey and found some relief when a religious leader gave her the nod to fully pursue her truth. Up until that point, Maria "had never given myself permission to feel, to be vulnerable, [and] to be weak," as she told "Making Space with Hoda Kotb." Vulnerability ultimately became a tool for Maria to establish true connection with others. When people confide in her about their darkest thoughts and fears, she reciprocates by sharing some of her own.

After her split from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver tried different ways of healing, but none came close to poetry. The outlet became a way for her to process her emotions in real time. "I just started writing," Shriver recalled in her chat with "The Oprah Podcast." "This kind of poetry [where I'm] sitting there and just being quiet and realizing, 'Oh, wait a minute. I'm sobbing. What am I sobbing about? I'm lonely. What am I lonely about?'... just poured out of me."

Shriver's book "I am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home" is the culmination of that journey and addresses some of her deepest thoughts on family, friendships, and her childhood. In the poem "I Know You Loved Me," she reflects on her relationship with her mother, writing in part (via CBS), "No one comforted her / No one told her she was enough / Her journey was relentless / Her energy unbridled / I understand now and I'm so sorry."

Shriver draws inspiration from other poets, including "Why I Wake Up Early" author Mary Oliver and award-winning writer Derek Walcott. From the get-go, she knew that the release of a book on poems and reflections was unorthodox. However, Shriver was driven by the desire to give the public a relatable body of work that would help others find a voice of their own.

Following the betrayal by Arnold Schwarzenegger and her long-term housekeeper, Mildred Baena, Maria Shriver was reportedly infuriated. At the time she filed for divorce, an anonymous source told People that, although "Maria may not have been as angry at Mildred as she was at Arnold," her first course of action was to ensure that her children were safeguarded from the drama. On Arnold's part, the actor later expressed remorse for his actions and considered messing up his marriage a big failure.

Shriver's turning point came in a vulnerable moment in a hotel room, during which she made the decision to leave her past behind and chart a new path. Part of that process involved establishing a new relationship with Arnold since they share an extended family that now includes grandkids. "I think Arnold and I have a great relationship now, and I think there will always be a love there," Shriver shared on Oprah's podcast. "I don't want to have, you know, hate. I don't want to have anger in my body."

Shriver's children played a huge role in helping her come to a place of forgiveness and understanding; in fact, her daughter, Katherine Schwarzenegger, authored a book titled "The Gift of Forgiveness: Inspiring Stories from Those Who Have Overcome the Unforgivable." Shriver told People of having the willingness to forgive, "I always take from my faith that there is no person on the planet who doesn't need forgiveness, so why not practice it on yourself, grant it to others and just keep at it?"

Prior to her divorce, Maria Shriver had devoted her entire life to the traditional roles of being a mother, a daughter, and a wife. As her marriage came tumbling down, so did some of the roles that had shaped her; Maria lost her father, Sargent Shriver, in January 2011 at 95 (her mother, Eunice Shriver Kennedy, had died much earlier in August 2009). Maria's role as the first lady of California — one which she made the most out of — also ended when Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped down as governor after seven years in office.

According to Maria, the ending of life as she had known it presented an opportunity for new beginnings. "I had to really step back and say, 'Who is Maria? What do I want to do? How do I want to live my life? What does that mean not to have any of these roles?'" Maria explained in an interview with Today. That period led Maria to a space of self-reflection, during which she revisited her past and later "put the pieces of my life back together."

Maria has since continued her work as an advocate for the fight against Alzheimer's through the Women's Alzheimer's Movement (her father was diagnosed with the disease back in 2003) and co-founded the brain health brand Maria Owings Shriver Health (MOSH) with her son, Patrick Schwarzenegger. The duo stocked shelves with a healthy protein bar dubbed the "brain bar," whose income helps fund activities by the Women's Alzheimer's Movement. Maria is also the founder of the Shriver Media Network, a production house that has several documentaries and films under its belt.

Maria Shriver began going to therapy at the end of her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The journey was instrumental in helping her become self-aware and understand the thought behind some of her life choices, including the decision to marry Schwarzenegger in the first place. According to Shriver, Schwarzenegger was a great suitor on paper. He was already successful in his own right since he had won Mr. Olympia seven times by 1980 and had become a household name after the release of the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian."

By the time the couple was tying the knot, Shriver was also a bigwig in the broadcasting world and had worked for CBS News. In 1986, she joined NBC News, with whom she worked until 2004. Shriver and Schwarzenegger were bonded through a shared reverence for life and matching ambition, and it felt exciting for her to leave the dysfunction in her family behind and move to California with her then beau.

"That felt like a lifesaving move for me," Shriver recalled in an interview with the "Rich Roll" podcast. Still, choosing to leave home didn't prevent her from recreating the chaos she'd left behind. "They always say to you, you know, whoever you're picking in life, you're trying to work out something else in your life," Shriver shared. "I had never been to therapy, so I didn't know any of these things ... I'm a big advocate of going to therapy young to figure some of these things out for yourself." 

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger share four children. They welcomed their first child, Katherine Schwarzenegger, in December 1989, while their second child, Christina Schwarzenegger, was born in July 1991. The Schwarzenegger boys, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Christopher Schwarzenegger, were born in September 1993 and 1997, respectively. Shriver takes pride in being a mother, even though she maintains that it's a humbling experience since one's never really sure that what they are doing is in line with their child's actual needs.

When Shriver and Arnold's marriage came to an end, the former's approach to motherhood also changed. "If I'm divorced, how do I create a container where both of my kids' parents can coexist, can exhibit love, can exhibit friendship [and] make everybody feel at peace?" Shriver opined during an appearance on the "A Bit of Optimism" podcast. Shriver and Arnold's children are all grown now, and they keep in touch with their mom by having dinners regularly. The former journalist also spends quality time with her grandchildren (she was seen holding hands with her granddaughter during a ski trip with Katherine's family).

Family time is not a practice that Shriver takes for granted. In a 2018 Mother's Day essay on Today, she expressed that she was grateful to be part of her children's lives. Shriver further wrote that she was always in "mother-mode" and was fully committed to the cause. "I rest in knowing that I not only love my kids to the moon and back, but that I like them, too," she wrote, also adding, "and, best of all, I know that they know that!"

When Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger split up, the former was introduced to a meditation teacher by her long-term friend, Oprah Winfrey. Shriver's first attempt at meditation was difficult. She was living in a hotel at the time, and when the coach paid her a visit, she sobbed uncontrollably. During that first session, Shriver "couldn't sit quietly [or] sit with myself," as she recalled in a chat with Winfrey on Sunday Paper PLUS. Even though the coach stayed with Shriver for four days in total, his efforts proved to be futile.

Over time, the practice became a staple part of Shriver's life. In fact, it's what led her to write poetry in the first place because she felt challenged by the insights that came about during moments of stillness. Shriver has since turned into an advocate for meditation and dedicates the first 45 minutes to one hour of her day toward mindfulness. "Meditating in the morning works really well for me," she told the "A Bit of Optimism" podcast. "Being in quiet and being alone in the morning really works for me ... I meditate for, like, twenty minutes ... then I just kind of look out the window."

It seems Maria Shriver hasn't closed the door on dating and has been allegedly linked to political consultant Matthew Dowd since she separated from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yet, she maintains that she's been single since the split. "Your 60s are fantastic, and I was single in my 60s," the former journalist said on "Today with Jenna & Friends" (via People), adding that people around her had been trying to introduce her to potential partners. When television host Jenna Bush Hager asked whether Shriver was looking forward to another romance, she said, "I'm interested in any great love experience ... I'm kind of trying to be open and yes to life in all its forms. How about that? I just made that all up."

Shriver and Dowd were spotted together for the first time in August 2025, a move that may have fans wondering whether Shriver is finally comfortable enough to have another publicized relationship. According to an anonymous source that spoke to Globe (via Yahoo!), there could be wedding bells ringing in Shriver's camp after all, despite Schwarzenegger's past declaration of love for his ex-wife. The insider claimed that Dowd had offered Shriver a shoulder to lean on during her darkest times, which has made her heart warmer toward the idea of getting hitched for a second time. "She's [Maria] finally coming around and thinking, 'Why not get married?'" The source whispered.