Here's a Hollywood breakup divorce attorneys in Pasadena didn't see coming. After 25 years of marriage, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have officially separated. The former governor/ Terminator star and his retired journalist wife announced the split via a joint statement on Monday.
"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," 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 are the light and the center of both of our lives. We consider this a private matter and neither we nor any of our friends or family will have any further comment. We ask for compassion and respect from the media and the public."
Considered an odd pairing since they married in 1986, the couple - until recently, anyway - has survived through career transitions, scandals and political differences. Shiver, daughter of the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was introduced to Schwarzenegger by Tom Brokaw. The dichotomy of Shriver being Democratic royalty married to a Republican movie star provided tabloid fodder for decades. Shriver stood her ground in 2008 and campaign for Barack Obama, a move Schwarzenegger said he supported. In fact, the couple seemed to agree to disagree on a myriad of issues yet remained supportive of one another.
But they fell under the microscope when he ran for governor of California. Rumors surfaced that Schwarzenegger had sexually groped female coworkers on the sets of his films. The couple shrugged off the allegations, calling them "mean-spirited" attempts to sabotage his campaign.
Arnold and Maria celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on April 26 th and have four children, ages 14, 18, 20, and 21. Shriver continues to work on women's issues while the 63-year-old Schwarzenegger is said to be returning to acting later this year.