On Tuesday, December 28 it was reported that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver had finalized their divorce, 10 years after their initial split in 2011.
The former couple wed in 1986 and they share four children together, but they parted ways 25 years later.
Here, Newsweek can provide a timeline of their relationship.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver: A Definitive Relationship Timeline
August 1977
Schwarzenegger and Shriver first met at the Robert F. Kennedy Tennis Tournament in August 1977, and the pair started dating shortly thereafter while he was in an open relationship with hairdresser Sue Moray.
In 1978, the action movie star split from Moray, and in 2003 she said in an interview with The Daily Mail: "All he ever said about Maria was that she was 'just a friend,' but I didn't believe him."
August 1985
While still in a relationship with Shriver, Schwarzenegger had an affair with his Red Sonja co-star Brigitte Nielsen in 1985.
In his 2012 autobiography "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story", the actor confirmed their relationship, after Nielsen first spoke about it in 2011.
After discovering the affair, Shriver is said to have issued an ultimatum, and Schwarzenegger proposed to her in August 1985.
April 1986
Schwarzenegger and Shriver wed on April 26, 1986 in a ceremony at the St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Their nuptials was presided over by Rev. John Baptist Riordan, and attended by a number of people including Shriver's cousin Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, who was Maid of Honor, according to a report from The New York Times.
December 1989
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Katherine on December 13 1989.
Katherine is married to Chris Pratt, they share daughter Lyla and they announced in December that they are currently expecting their second child.
July 1991
Schwarzenegger and Shriver had their second child, a daughter named Christina, on July 23, 1991.
September 1993
On September 18, 1993 the couple had their third child, a son named Patrick. He works as an actor and model.
September 1997
Four years later, Schwarzenegger and Shriver had their fourth child, a son named Christopher.
May 2011
On May 9, 2011 Schwarzenegger and Shriver announced their divorce with the latter moving out of their Brentwood mansion.
In a joint statement shared by The Los Angeles Times at the time, they said: "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. We are continuing to parent our four children together."
They added: "We consider this a private matter and neither we nor any of our friends or family will have further comment."
On May 16 it was revealed Schwarzenegger had fathered a child, a son named Joseph, with their household employee Mildred Patricia "Patty" Baena in October 1997.
Schwarzenegger's third son has followed in his father's footsteps as an actor and bodybuilder, and he told E! News' Daily Pop on December 20 that he didn't take his father's surname because he wanted to make a name for himself.
He said: "There's a few different variables in that. But that's just not my main priority at the moment, so I'm just focused on building myself up and building my career in acting and real estate and just focusing on that right now."
The actor added: "I mean, my dad is a stallion. He's a man's man, I like to think, and I look up to him a lot."
Despite their split, Schwarzenegger and Shriver have remained civil and they have attended a number of events alongside their children, including the premiere of National Geographic's The Long Road Home in October 2017.
December 2021
On Tuesday, December 28 2021 TMZ reported that Schwarzenegger and Shriver had finalized their divorce earlier in the month, and it was entered into the Los Angeles Superior Court system that day.
The publication claimed that the 10-year divorce proceedings took so long because of a "complicated property settlement agreement" and a "lack of motivation."
Newsweek has contacted Schwarzenegger and Shriver's representatives for further comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Roxy Simons is a Newsweek TV and Film Reporter (SEO), based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on the ... Read more
