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Arnold Schwarzenegger makes dig at ex-wife Maria Shriver while promoting new holiday film

The couple finalized their divorce in 2011 after 25 years of marriage

Kaleigh Werner
in New York
Thursday 15 May 2025 08:54 BST
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Arnold Schwarzenegger reflects on split from Maria Shriver

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a pointed comment about his ex-wife Maria Shriver during a presentation for his new film, The Man With the Bag, set to release sometime in 2025.

At Amazon’s Upfront 2025 Presentation on Monday, the 77-year-old former Governor of California remembered an old holiday favorite of his, the 1996 film, Jingle All the Way, in which his character embarks on a major toy hunt for his son.

“They play it the whole month of December,” he said. “I know because my ex-wife calls me about the residual.”

Schwarzenegger and Shriver, a journalist, tied the knot in 1986 and were married until their divorce was finalized in 2011. Their separation came after the Predator star publicly admitted he fathered a child, Joseph Baena, with their longtime housekeeper, Mildred Baena.

The two share four children — Katherine, 35, Christina, 33, Patrick, 31, and Christopher, 27.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver were married for 25 years
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver were married for 25 years (Getty)

Schwarzenegger’s comments about his ex-wife come after Shriver opened up to Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Podcast about their relationship now.

“I think Arnold and I have a great relationship now, and I think there will always be, a love there,” she told the host in March. “As you said, I met him when I was 21 years old.

“He's the father of my children. We're grandparents together and I don't wanna have hate. I don't wanna have anger in my body towards another person. I don't want that in my life at all,” she continued.

Shriver noted: “I didn't want my kids to have separate birthday parties. I didn't want them to stress about when they were gonna get married, stress about when they would have a child.

“I didn't want what happened between their dad and me to ruin their lives. It already causes a rupture in their life,” she said. “I wanted to model for them a new way forward. And I hope they don't get divorced because I believe in marriage. But I want them to know that you can do it well. It takes time.”

Their daughter Katherine has three kids of her own with her husband, Chris Pratt, while their son Patrick, who starred in this season of The White Lotus, is engaged to model Abby Champion.

In January, Schwarzenegger was forced to address rumors he was leaving the United States after Donald Trump took office.

On his own X account, the actor shared a post by a pro-Trump account claiming he was making plans to leave the country, which said: “Arnold Schwarzenegger announces he will leave America: ‘I’m tired of Trump’s nonsense.”

He wrote: “Don’t believe fake news. I was born in Austria, but I was made in America, and I’d never leave.”

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