Maria Shriver: Photos of the Journalist and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Ex

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To some, Maria Shriver is known for being Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ex-wife, but there is so much more to this award-winning journalist. Take a look at Maria, a woman who has interviewed presidents and moguls (and even served as California’s First Lady), in honor of her birthday.

Maria Shriver is a journalist, a best-selling author, former First Lady of California, a member of the Kennedy family, and the former wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger. While joining her father, Sargent Shriver, on the campaign trail for the 1972 U.S. presidential election (he was the Democratic Party’s vice-president candidate), Maria had a chance encounter with a pool of reporters, resulting in her realizing she wanted a career in journalism. After graduating from Georgetown, she began working at television stations in Philadelphia and Baltimore. At the same time, she was pursuing her bi-coastal relationship with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two met in 1977 at a charity tennis tournament and struck up a romance that would last until 2011. After 25 years of marriage, Maria separated and filed for divorce upon learning Arnold fathered a child with their housekeeper.

Despite the split, she maintains a positive relationship with Arnold and their four children. She also continues to be one of the most respected names in television journalism.

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