There are so many reasons a Colorado couple could decide to divorce. Some people drift apart. Some can never get over different parenting styles. And there’s adultery.
If wives like Maria Shriver ever had grounds for divorce, it’s now. Ex-governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed this week that he fathered a child with a member of his household staff more than a decade ago, before he took office. The couple announced they were separating last week, after 25 years of marriage. The new revelations emerged Monday night.
The couple effectively separated in January, when Schwarzenegger left office and told his wife of the infidelity. She moved out of their Brentwood mansion that month, and according to sources, they have been living essentially separate lives.
The actor and ex-politician seemed to be somewhat optimistic when the separation was announced last week. But, according to the Los Angeles Times, people who know Shriver don’t think it’s likely they will ever get back together. There has been no announcement of an impending divorce, but that would hardly be shocking in light of recent revelations.
Shriver has kept a low-profile recently, in contrast to her husband, who has announced plans for movies and appeared at various political events. They have four children ranging from ages 13 to 21.
The woman Schwarzenegger fathered the child with worked as part of the couple’s household staff for 20 years. She had claimed earlier that the child was her husband’s. Schwarzenegger reportedly supported her and the child financially from the beginning.
In previous years he had admitted to “behaving badly,” but nothing on this scale. He said in a statement he is “truly sorry” and asked the media to keep the attention on him, not Shriver or other members of the family.
Source: The Los Angeles Times, “Schwarzenegger fathered a child with longtime member of household staff,” Mark Z. Barabak and Victoria Kim, 17 May 2011