Maria Shriver
Biography
Journalism Career
Maria Owings Shriver was born on November 6, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and R. Sargent Shriver. She attended Georgetown University, graduating in 1977, and went directly into broadcast journalism, working as a correspondent and anchor at CBS News and NBC News, including regular appearances on the Today show. She won multiple Emmy Awards for her broadcast journalism and became one of the most recognizable faces in network television during the 1980s.
Marriage, California First Lady, and Separation
Maria Shriver married Arnold Schwarzenegger on April 26, 1986. When Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California in 2003, Shriver set aside her journalism career to serve as First Lady of California. In May 2011, shortly after Schwarzenegger left office, they separated after it emerged that he had fathered a child with a household staff member during his governorship. The couple formally divorced in 2021. They have four children: Katherine (married actor Chris Pratt in 2019), Christina, Patrick, and Christopher.
Alzheimer's Advocacy and Writing
Following her years as First Lady, Shriver became one of the most visible advocates for Alzheimer's research, founding the Women's Alzheimer's Movement, which focuses on the disproportionate impact of the disease on women. Her father, Sargent Shriver, died of Alzheimer's in 2011. She is also a bestselling author, including the children's title What's Heaven? (1999) and I've Been Thinking… (2018).
Family Context
Maria Shriver is the child of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and R. Sargent Shriver Jr.. They married Arnold Schwarzenegger and had 4 children: Katherine Schwarzenegger, Christina Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Christopher Sargent Shriver Schwarzenegger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger divorce?
Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger separated in May 2011 after it was revealed that Schwarzenegger had fathered a child with a member of their household staff more than a decade earlier and had kept the relationship secret throughout his time as Governor of California. Their divorce was finalized in 2021.
What is the Women's Alzheimer's Movement?
The Women's Alzheimer's Movement is an advocacy and research organization founded by Maria Shriver that focuses on why Alzheimer's disease disproportionately affects women — nearly two-thirds of all Alzheimer's patients are women — and funds research into the biological, hormonal, and social factors that may explain the disparity.