Maria Shriver Reveals Emotional Breakdown After Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Affair In New Memoir

March 27, 2025: Maria Shriver has opened up about the emotional turmoil she experienced after discovering her ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger’s affair with their family’s housekeeper, Mildred Baena, in her memoir I Am Maria. In a deeply personal account, Shriver recalls the devastating moment she learned about the affair and the pain that followed.

In the book, Shriver describes breaking down in tears, feeling utterly alone and terrified. She recounts sitting on the floor of a hotel room in the dark, struggling with overwhelming emotions. “As I sat on the hotel room floor in the dark, terrified and alone with tears streaming down my face. I thought to myself: Maria, this doesn’t have to be the end of you. It can’t be the end of you. Make it a new beginning of you,” she writes, reflecting on the agony of the moment.

Despite the words of self-encouragement, Shriver admits to being consumed by grief, anger, sadness, and anxiety. She goes on to describe how the betrayal shattered her sense of self, saying, “It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me. I was unsure now of who I was, where I belonged. Honestly, it was brutal, and I was terrified.”

The emotional impact of Schwarzenegger’s infidelity was immense for Shriver, particularly as it involved not only her marriage but also their family. She shares her sense of displacement and the overwhelming uncertainty about her future.

Shriver filed for divorce from Schwarzenegger in 2011, shortly after he admitted to the affair during a counseling session. The affair, which had been kept a secret for years, led to the revelation that Schwarzenegger had fathered a son, Joseph Baena, with the family’s housekeeper.

In his 2023 documentary, Arnold, Schwarzenegger expressed deep regret for the pain his actions caused his family, admitting, “I have caused enough pain for my family because of my mistake. Everyone had to suffer. Maria had to suffer. The kids had to suffer. Joseph. His mother. Everyone.”

The couple finalized their legal separation in 2021, but Shriver’s emotional journey of healing is ongoing. Through her candid reflections in her book, she hopes to inspire others facing personal turmoil to find strength and create new beginnings, no matter how difficult the circumstances may seem.