The Short Answer: One Wife
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been married once.
His only wife is Maria Shriver. They married in 1986 and separated in 2011. Their divorce was finalised in December 2021.
Heather Milligan is his long-term partner. She is not his wife, and the two have not married.
Credit: www.koimoi.com
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marriage at a Glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Number of marriages | 1 |
| Wife | Maria Shriver |
| Wedding date | April 26, 1986 |
| Wedding place | Hyannis, Massachusetts |
| Separation announced | May 2011 |
| Divorce filed | July 2011 |
| Divorce finalised | December 2021 |
| Children from the marriage | 4 |
Who Is Maria Shriver?
Maria Owings Shriver was born on November 6, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois.
She is an American journalist and author. She is the daughter of politician Sargent Shriver and activist Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
Through her mother, she is a niece of President John F. Kennedy. She is not John F. Kennedy Jr.’s sister.
Shriver worked for NBC News, including as a correspondent for Dateline NBC. She was First Lady of California while Schwarzenegger was governor.
She also founded the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly its impact on women.
How Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver Met
Schwarzenegger and Shriver met in 1977 at a charity tennis tournament.
They married on April 26, 1986, at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Their Four Children Together
Schwarzenegger and Shriver had four children:
- Katherine Schwarzenegger — born December 13, 1989
- Christina Schwarzenegger — born July 23, 1991
- Patrick Schwarzenegger — born September 18, 1993
- Christopher Schwarzenegger — born September 27, 1997
Katherine is married to actor Chris Pratt.
Why the Marriage Ended
On May 9, 2011, Schwarzenegger and Shriver announced their separation after 25 years of marriage.
Shriver filed for divorce on July 1, 2011. The divorce took a decade to complete and was finalised in December 2021.
The break-up followed Schwarzenegger’s admission that he had fathered a child outside the marriage. That child is Joseph Baena, whose mother is Mildred Patricia Baena, the family’s longtime housekeeper.
Schwarzenegger and Shriver have since spoken about co-parenting their children and remaining on friendly terms as a family.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Fifth Child
Schwarzenegger has five children in total.
Four are with Maria Shriver, listed above. His fifth child is Joseph Baena, born October 2, 1997.
Joseph’s mother is Mildred Patricia Baena. His birth was not publicly linked to Schwarzenegger until 2011.
Is Heather Milligan His Second Wife?
No. Heather Milligan is not Schwarzenegger’s second wife.
Milligan is a physical therapist and the founder of Elite OrthoSport Physical Therapy & Performance, a practice focused on orthopaedic and sports rehabilitation.
Schwarzenegger first met her in 2012. His surgeon recommended her after shoulder surgery, while he was preparing for the film Escape Plan.
They began dating in 2013 and were first seen together publicly that year. They have kept the relationship largely private since then.
Schwarzenegger has described Milligan as his girlfriend. No marriage between them has been reported.
A Common Mix-Up: Barbara Outland Baker
Barbara Outland Baker was not Schwarzenegger’s wife.
She was his girlfriend in the early 1970s. They lived together from 1969 to about 1974. She later wrote a memoir about that period, Arnold and Me.
Counting Baker as a wife is incorrect. Schwarzenegger’s only marriage remains his marriage to Maria Shriver.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Career in Brief
Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal, Austria.
He first became known as a bodybuilder, winning multiple Mr. Olympia titles. He then became a film star, with roles in Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Terminator (1984), Predator (1987), Twins (1988), and Total Recall (1990).
He served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times has Arnold Schwarzenegger been married?
Once, to Maria Shriver.
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger married now?
No. He is divorced and in a long-term relationship with Heather Milligan.
How many children does Arnold Schwarzenegger have?
Five: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher with Maria Shriver, and Joseph Baena with Mildred Patricia Baena.
When did Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver divorce?
They separated in 2011. The divorce was finalised in December 2021.
