Maria Shriver, 67, has shed new light on her high-profile divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The veteran TV journalist reflected on the heartbreak that followed her split from the Terminator actor in 2011, revealing she visited a convent shortly after their breakup "to be in silence and look for advice." Maria, who is a member of the Kennedy family, made the candid revelation on the latest episode of the Making Space with Hoda Kotb podcast, describing her experience as "a scene out of The Sound of Music," to the Today star.
Maria opened up about her high-profile divorce
"The Reverend Mother there said to me at the very end, she said -and I actually have written about this, but I haven't shared - she said: 'I think you came here looking for permission,'" Maria told Hoda, before referencing Julie Andrews' role in the classic 1965 musical film.
"She says, 'You can't come live here, but you do have permission to go out and become Maria.' I was like, sobbing." The star told Hoda that her visit to the convent led her down a far more positive path.
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During her marriage, Maria became a mother-of-four
She said: "I had never given myself permission to feel, to be vulnerable, to be weak, to be brought to my knees, and the world did it to me.
"And then I was like, 'Okay, God, let's go. I'm gonna take this and learn everything I can about my role and what I need to learn.'"
Why did Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger split?
Maria's divorce from Arnold after 25 years of marriage dominated headlines a dozen years ago after the former bodybuilder-turned-actor, now 75, admitted to having an affair with their housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena more than a decade prior.
Maria and Arnold were married for 25 years before their split
Arnold secretly fathered a child with Mildred, their son Joseph, who is now 25, but the former Governor of California's paternity was kept a secret until their son was a teenager.
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The couple's high-profile divorce only finalised in 2021
When news of Arnold's betrayal came to light, Maria filed for divorce in 2011, though it wasn't finalised until December 2021.
Maria and the Aftermath actor welcomed four kids of their own before their breakup; Katherine, 33, Christina, 31, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25.
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