‘Unforgivable’: Close friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ex-wife Maria Shriver slammed him for covering up extramarital affair during his difficult times

Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger was married to Kennedy family member Maria Shriver for 25 years. They had four children together, and Shriver stayed by his side during Schwarzenegger’s seven years as governor of California.

They separated in 2011 after the bodybuilder’s extramarital affair with their then housekeeper, Mildred Baena, came to light. Schwarzenegger had fathered a child, Joseph Baena, out of wedlock. Their divorce was recently finalized in December 2021.

Maria Shriver’s friend sheds light on her pain

In an exclusive interview with TODAY in 2011, an undisclosed friend and colleague of Maria Shriver shared his thoughts on their divorce. “He completely betrayed Maria. And I’ll tell you what hurt her the most…” they or they claims.

According to the source, the betrayal became more pronounced when she realized that Schwarzenegger hid his infidelity during the tough times in Shriver’s life. “Do you realize,” asked Shriver’s pal and confidant, “that it means that when Arnold stood by his side during his mother’s death – and then his father’s death – he was hiding it [affair and love child] from her too?

Shriver’s mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, died in 2009, and his father, Sargent Shriver, died earlier in 2011. Shriver’s friend claimed that the idea of ​​the bodybuilder’s compassion and support during times difficult was truly unforgivable.

“And lying to him during this difficult time, just going through the motions like that,” the Shriver source explained, “is unforgivable. She was very upset about this. God, she still is. In the years that followed, Arnold Schwarzenegger also spoke about the divorce, taking full responsibility for his actions.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke about his regrets

The seven-time Mr. Olympia champion disclosed his views on divorce to CNN in 2012. He called the affair off with his housekeeper “pretty much the dumbest thing a human being can do.” He revealed that he deeply regrets his actions.

Divorce became one of the lowest points in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s life. “All of a sudden, overnight, personal life totally crashed and I erased everything, you know, that I had,” he explained.

He revealed that he was proud of his family. And while he took responsibility for his mistake, losing his family had been hard on him. “I mean, the thing I treasured the most was my personal life, it was my marriage and it was my family. I always thought that was one of my greatest accomplishments,” says Schwarzenegger.

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