Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has officially divorced his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver. The couple has been separated for 10 years, but their official divorce settlement was not reached until December 2021.
Irreconcilable differences
Shriver filed the initial divorce paperwork, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. She asked for spousal support and joint custody of the former couple’s 13- and 17-year-old sons. Shriver and Schwarzenegger also have two other adult children together.
Reports of infidelity
Schwarzenegger served as the governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Shortly after he left office, Shriver moved out of the home that the couple had shared together with their four children. A few months later, the couple announced that they were separated, and Schwarzenegger admitted that he had fathered a child with another woman.
The mother of Schwarzenegger’s secret child was a woman who had formerly been employed at the Schwarzenegger-Shriver home as a housekeeper. She gave birth to her son with Schwarzenegger five days after Shriver gave birth to her and Schwarzenegger’s youngest son.
No prenuptial agreement
According to reports, Schwarzenegger and Shriver had no prenuptial agreement on how their assets should be divided in a divorce. Since California is one of the few community property states in the country, marital assets are supposed to be divided equally in a divorce. That means that a couple’s assets must be split down the middle regardless of the unique circumstances involved.
Community property laws require an equal division of property based on monetary value. For example, if one spouse gets to keep the family home, the other spouse must be compensated with assets that are equal to the value of the home.