Maria Shriver’s Graceful Response to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Affair with Housekeeper

In 2011, shocking revelations surfaced about Arnold Schwarzenegger's affair with his former housekeeper, which became public just a day after the actor's term as Governor of California ended.

However, amidst the chaos and media frenzy surrounding the Schwarzenegger family, it was Maria Shriver's remarkable grace and generosity that stood out.

After being married for 25 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver finally separated in 2011.

The divorce seemed inevitable, especially after Shriver quickly realized the truth about Mildred Baena's son, Joseph Baena.

This realization occurred when Baena and her son visited the couple's home during the summer of 2011.

At the time, the boy was only 13 years old and had learned about his paternity just a year earlier.

Mildred Baena had served the Schwarzenegger household for 20 years before retiring in January 2011.

Throughout those years, the physical resemblance between her son and Arnold Schwarzenegger became increasingly noticeable.

Eventually, Maria Shriver also picked up on the similarity.

In an interview with Hello!

Magazine, Baena shared her interaction with Shriver:

“[Maria] would say things like, ‘I'm here if you want to talk.'

She would ask if I needed to talk to her, and I kept saying no.

Finally, she asked point blank.

Maria did ask me directly if Joseph was Arnold's son, and I just broke down.

I dropped to my knees and was crying, saying that, yes, he was, and I was so sorry.

She was so strong.

She cried with me and told me to get off my knees.

We held each other, and I told her it wasn't Arnold's fault, that it takes two.

That is what I admired about her, her strength and the way she handled it.”

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, he didn't realize Joseph Baena was his son until the boy turned 7 or 8 and started resembling him.

Despite financially supporting the child, he only revealed the truth to his family when Maria Shriver directly confronted him about it.

Maria Shriver, hailing from the esteemed Kennedy family, had a glamorous marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

They tied the knot in 1986, shortly after Schwarzenegger's rise to fame as the Terminator in James Cameron's film.

However, 25 years later, during a private conversation with Shriver and their children, Schwarzenegger admitted to the affair and acknowledged Joseph Baena as his son, born in 1997.

Shriver's empathetic and forgiving response to Mildred Baena's confession gave some hope for the couple to work through their marital troubles.

However, on May 9, 2011, just five months after Baena left their household, Shriver filed for divorce.

The divorce was finalized in 2021, but the couple continues to share custody of their children.

Furthermore, Arnold Schwarzenegger has developed a heartwarming relationship with Joseph Baena, bonding over their shared passion for bodybuilding.

Source: Hello!