Arnold Schwarzenegger's affair with the maid may have made headlines, but it turns out that his wife, Maria Shriver, had her own secret lover.
According to sources, Shriver was involved with her husband's lead campaign strategist long before Schwarzenegger's affair with their housekeeper came to light.
The affair between Shriver and Matthew Dowd, now an ABC analyst, began in 2006 while Dowd was working on Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign in California.
Despite playing the role of the betrayed wife, Shriver recently stepped out publicly with Dowd, as if he were a new fling.
Contrary to Shriver's claims, sources reveal that their relationship was not recent and that they often flaunted their affair when Schwarzenegger was away.
They would take long walks together and spend alone time after meetings, leaving little doubt about their involvement.
When Schwarzenegger eventually discovered the affair, Dowd was pushed out of his inner circle.
However, the fights continued, causing chaos within the campaign staff.
Those working closely with the couple had to choose sides, either supporting Shriver or Schwarzenegger, as there was no way to stay neutral.
Dowd denies the affair, insisting that they were just good friends.
But according to sources, Schwarzenegger's staffers considered Dowd an enemy and even banned him from attending the inauguration.
Despite the scandal, Schwarzenegger and Shriver appeared to be a couple in public, while Shriver continued seeing Dowd during her husband's second term.
She would go on getaways with him when Schwarzenegger was in Sacramento, including trips to New York and Santa Monica.
Shriver referred to Dowd as one of her closest friends, and Schwarzenegger was aware of their relationship throughout.
In fact, when Schwarzenegger appeared on ABC's “This Week,” where Dowd often appeared as well, he requested a separate green room to avoid crossing paths with Dowd.
Dowd even boasted about bedding a Kennedy, further confirming the nature of their relationship.
At a wedding in 2011, he openly announced that he was staying with Shriver at the Montage Hotel during her separation from Schwarzenegger.
Ex-staffers were instructed to keep quiet about Shriver's affair when news broke about Schwarzenegger's love child.
The governor did not want any more dirty laundry to be exposed.
Although Shriver filed for divorce nearly three years ago, the couple has yet to finalize it.
However, sources claim that the process is being settled amicably.
Representatives for Schwarzenegger and Shriver have declined to comment on the matter.
