After Schwarzenegger and Shriver met at the 1977 Robert F. Kennedy Tennis Tournament and fell in love, the "Kindergarten Cop" actor proposed to Shriver in August 1985, as per People. The couple wed a year later in April 1986, and they exchanged their vows. According to AP News, the event was such a huge spectacle that hundreds of fans showed up near the church in hopes of catching a glimpse of the couple. Following their highly talked-about wedding, Schwarzenegger and Shriver had four children together: Katherine Schwarzenegger (1989), Christina Schwarzenegger (1991), Patrick Schwarzenegger (1993), and Christoper Schwarzenegger (1997).
The "Commando" star and Shriver were married for 25 years before they announced they would be "amicably separating" in May 2011. "This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," they said in a joint statement, per Us Weekly. "After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together. At this time, we are living apart, while we work on the future of our relationship."
Days later, Schwarzenegger publicly admitted to fathering a child with one of his long-term employees a decade earlier and that Shriver moved out of their mansion shortly after learning about his infidelity. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologised to Maria, my children, and my family. I am truly sorry," Schwarzenegger said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, before asking the media to turn their "attention and criticism" toward him and not his family.
The pair finalized their divorce in December 2021, per People. Despite the fact that they're no longer together, Schwarzenegger and Shriver have remained in each other's lives. "Even though we had this drama, we did Easter together, Mother's Day together, the Christmases together, all birthdays — everything together," Schwarzenegger told The Hollywood Reporter in a May 2023 interview. "If there's Oscars for how to handle divorce, Maria and I should get it for having the least amount of impact on the kids."
Image Source: Getty / Denise Truscello