Representative of noble blood
Maria Shriver was born on November 6, 1955 in Chicago and has always called herself a true American. The roots of her family tree are impressive. Irish and German blood flows in Mary's veins, and according to her religious beliefs, she considers herself to be Roman Catholic. She is the second child in the family. Her parents were involved in active politics all their lives, which was inherited by Maria. She is also directly related to the Kennedy clan, but although this is not classified as classified information, few people know about it. What connects the Kennedy family with Maria Shriver? Maria is the niece of President John Kennedy and his brothers and sisters, who were also involved in politics at one time.
Education first
Needless to say, strict parents could not allow a girl with such a pedigree to grow up uneducated, and from a young age they predicted a brilliant future for her. From her native Chicago, our heroine moved to Maryland, where she graduated from high school. Next, Maria Shriver (whose photo you can find in this article) studies in college for two years, and then enters Georgetown University. Upon completion, she receives not only high grades, but also a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies.
Childhood and youth
Maria was not born into an ordinary American family: her mother Eunice from the famous Kennedy family was the sister of the 35th US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, her father Robert Shriver II was a prominent political figure. In such a high-status family, on November 6, 1955, daughter Maria was born. The family lived in Chicago, Illinois.
Maria Shriver as a child
When the time came to decide on a school, the girl was sent to receive knowledge at a small secondary school in Maryland. After school, Maria entered a private university in Washington. In 1977, Shriver graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies, a series of disciplines focused on the study of the United States.
Journalism first
Maria got into this profession by accident. Looking ahead, let's say that in 2000 she published a biographical book, in which she described in detail the reasons for her passion for journalism (currently Maria has written six books, where she not only shares her personal experience, but also gives advice to newcomers to the industry). She, rather inexperienced, was sent to cover the presidential race in 1972, thanks to which she became involved in the process. Such tasks provided an incredible experience. As Maria Shriver later admitted, in her youth she was very confident and went straight ahead to achieve her goal. The management was satisfied with the work completed. But only a journalist vacancy could be offered at KYW-TV in Pennsylvania. Without thinking twice, Maria agreed, because there was no stopping her.
Given her pleasant appearance (in her youth she played sports and always watched her figure), Maria Shriver was admired by everyone - from television producers to colleagues and viewers. But the heart of the written beauty was conquered by another person.
In August 1985, CBS offered her a one-year contract as co-anchor of its morning news programs. After serving her term, she transferred to NBC News, where she worked until 1990. Until 2004, Maria appeared on Nightly News and Dateline. She was devoted to her favorite TV channel like no one else, and was practically its “face”.
Journalism
Immediately after completing her studies, Maria took up journalism. She moved to Philadelphia, one of the largest cities in the country, and began working as a producer and news editor for a local television station. Afterwards, the persistent journalist began to move up the career ladder. In 1985, she was invited to anchor the morning news on CBS.
Two years later there was a new rise - work on the NBC News channel. Her career went up until 2004, until a “conflict of interest” arose - Maria became the first lady of the state of California and could no longer give an objective assessment of political events, because their source was the state governor, Arnold’s husband.
However, Maria did not sit idly by. She became involved in community projects while serving in the governor's office. In 2004, she organized a forum on women's issues, which attracts tens of thousands of participants from all over the country every year. A year later, she created a program to help low-income families. Maria also began to pay a lot of attention to organizing volunteer activities.
Journalist Maria Shriver
In 2009, Shriver produced the 4-part documentary film “The Alzheimer's Project,” for which he received an honorary Emmy Award. Maria also received a Peabody award for achievements in the field of journalism.
There's no such thing as too much love
Mary's heart has been occupied for several years now. While remaining faithful to her favorite TV channel, she was also faithful to her husband. In 1977, at a charity tennis ball, she was accidentally introduced to an Austrian bodybuilder. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver immediately felt an interest in each other. The athlete, who impressed the girl not only with his pumped up muscles, but also with his excellent education, was just beginning his acting career. Almost ten years later, the couple got married. They had four children together: Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.
Changing coordinates
In 2003, elections for governor of California took place. At first it was perceived in the press as a joke. No one believed that Arnold Schwarzenegger put forward his candidacy in all seriousness. Maria Shriver left her job at NBC, citing "concerns about possible conflicts of interest between her status as a journalist and the first lady of California." She supported her husband in every possible way. Being practically his right-hand man and the administration’s lawyer, Maria plunged headlong into politics. Only once, in 2007, she appeared on CNN as a co-host of a music show.
Television career
Maria Shriver immediately after graduating from university got a job at a television and radio company in Philadelphia. There she was engaged in editing texts for news programs. A year later, in 1978, she changed jobs for the first time, having received a more lucrative offer from the Baltimore shopping and entertainment complex. Here she worked for five whole years. It was in Baltimore that Maria Shriver (there is a photo in her youth in the article) received her first experience of working on air. Even though the news was not always broadcast live, the complexity of the work of the editor and presenter who speaks in front of the camera (and who is seen by television viewers) cannot be overestimated.
In 1983, Maria Shriver moved to Los Angeles. This was one of the most important events in the life of this famous person. Of course, she was not left without work here either. She was prompted to move by an offer from a vacant position as a journalist for a news program.
Her finest hour as a TV presenter came while working on one of the largest American channels, NBC (since 1986). Here Maria Shriver participated in many projects, some of which were her own. At the start of her career at NBS, she worked as an evening news correspondent. A year later, in 1987, Maria Shriver (see photo below in her youth) created and began running her own Main Street program. From 1987 to 1990, she also anchored the Sunday afternoon and evening news summaries. Many also remember the comments of this journalist from the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. An important professional feature of Shriver, critics noted her exceptional ability to interview the “powers that be”: George W. Bush, King Hussein of Jordan, Fidel Castro.
The main betrayal
No one expected such a turn of events - neither the fans who had been devoted to Arnold for many years, nor his less devoted wife. In May 2011, the idol of millions announced his separation from her. The reasons turned out to be banal. Fourteen years ago, Schwarzenegger became infatuated with housekeeper Mildred Patricia Bain, who served the family for more than twenty years. An unreasonable hobby led to Mildred's pregnancy, who carefully hid the child's father.
Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who seemed to have known each other all their lives and remained for the public a shining example of a strong Hollywood family, were no longer together. Shriver had certain suspicions, and her husband had no choice but to make a confession. Soon she moved out of their shared mansion, and later filed for divorce. In 2013, she was seen in the company of Matthew Dowd, a political consultant to her ex-husband and a family friend, and this meeting was more of a romantic nature.
The culprit of the events, Mildred, hastily quit and disappeared in an unknown direction. Almost a year later, she appeared again to give heartbreaking interviews. The woman does not claim anything, although the actor admitted his illegitimate son. As Mildred admitted, she also had a conversation with Shriver, in which they seemed to dot all the i’s. However, Maria could not forgive her husband’s betrayal.
Having lived with Maria Shriver for twenty-five years, Arnold remains grateful to her for her support, which she especially provided during his political career. Today, nothing binds them except their common children, for whose sake they are trying to live in peace and harmony.
Personal life
From her youth, Maria attracted the attention of fans - a pretty brunette, 166 cm tall, from a famous family, with an excellent education. The girl herself spent more time studying and self-development than relationships with the opposite sex, until a fateful meeting occurred.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver in their youth
21-year-old Maria, a university graduate, helped her mother organize a charity tennis tournament at their residence. The reception was also attended by the prominent Austrian bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The young people immediately noticed each other, but their relationship developed slowly. Only 9 years later, in April 1986, the wedding of Maria and Arnold took place.
It seemed to the wife that their marriage was quite happy. 3 years after the wedding, the couple had their first daughter, Katherine, and a couple of years later, the second heiress, Christina. Maria and “Iron Arnie” did not stop there and 2 years later, in 1993, the first boy and third child Patrick appeared in their family. While raising daughters and a son, the couple decided to exceed the childbearing plan and in 1997 they evened out the “children’s score” by giving birth to another son, Christopher - girls-boys 2:2.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver and their children
Maria continued to work and raise children, her husband starred in Hollywood blockbusters. He has already filmed in “Terminator”, “Commando”, “Predator”, “Red Heat” and other films. The Americans considered Maria and Arnold an ideal couple. She is the heiress of famous politicians, a girl “from high society,” he is a successful actor, athlete, politician and handsome man. Four children only confirmed the strong family union.
In May 2011, unpleasant news upset the couple's fans - after 25 years of marriage, the couple decided to separate. The official reason for the separation sounded dry - “irreconcilable differences,” but these words hid the endless infidelities of the spouse. It turned out that Arnold did not just succumb to fleeting hobbies, but lived a double life.
Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger
For many years he cheated on Maria with their housekeeper Mildred. The result of these adventures was the birth of an illegitimate son, Joseph, and when - in September 1997, the same month when his official wife Maria gave birth to their common fourth child. Apparently, the Christmas holidays of the 1996-97 season turned out to be very “fruitful” for Arnold.
As Shriver later stated, this news hit her hard, but, as a true representative of the Kennedy family, Maria did not expose family problems and personal experiences to the public.
Maria Shriver now
The divorce was long and difficult. The wife hired the best lawyers who checked Arnold's financial activities throughout the marriage and the presence of other illegitimate children. It turned out that Schwarzenegger was generous to the “second” family, buying a cottage worth $325,000 for the maid and son. The couple's common children were very upset by the separation of their father and mother, because... They failed to maintain friendly relations.
After breaking up with both lovers, “Terminator” quickly began a new romance with doctor Heather Milligan. But his wife Maria suffered a difficult breakup for a long time and did not even think about her personal life, taking care of her children and work.
other hobbies
In addition to writing books, Maria has always had a love for cinema. In 1993, she appeared in a small role in her husband’s film “The Last Action Hero.” In 2002, she voiced one of the characters in the cartoon “Children of Freedom”. She also worked as a screenwriter for social documentaries, and in 2014 she became one of the executive producers of the film “Still Alice.” Based on real events, the drama told the story of a linguistics professor suffering from memory loss. The leading actress, Julianne Moore, received an Oscar statuette, and Shriver herself was awarded an Emmy Award. Previously, she took part in the financing of a mini-series dedicated to the problems of Alzheimer's disease.
Maria is the founder of the Pathfinders of the World Foundation. The nursery is named in her honor. In 2004, she released her own brand of perfume, the fragrance for which she had been creating for a long time. She also owns the Loving Scoopful ice cream line, which is co-owned by her brother Tim.
Maria Shriver now
Only in 2014 did rumors leak to the media that Maria had found personal happiness. Her chosen one was political scientist Matthew Dowd. The couple does not talk about their relationship, but their friends say that they have been living together for a long time.
Maria Shriver and Matthew Dowd
Now Maria has become more loyal to her ex-husband. Now she and Arnold come to children’s graduations and general family events.
Already in her seventh decade, Maria continues to be involved in social activities and producing socially significant projects.
Life goes on
Today Maria leads an active lifestyle: she monitors her health, often meets with people, communicates a lot and tries to understand everyone’s problems. And not only understand, but also try to solve it. Maria, who has been interested in law since her college days, serves as a pro bono lawyer for people with intellectual disabilities. She is a member of the Special Olympics Council, which was founded by her mother in 1968, and is the chair of a volunteer bike ride that raises millions of dollars each year to help people with intellectual disabilities. This passion has grown into a hobby since the time when Maria was the first lady of California. The status is long gone, but the love for good deeds remains.
Maria Shriver: “We are a grief-stricken nation”
For most of her life, Maria Shriver identified herself as the daughter, wife, mother and everything else of the Kennedy/Shriver family. But after several difficult losses - the death of her parents and uncle, the end of her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger - she “reset” and opened a new chapter of life. WomanHit.ru publishes a translation of Maria Shriver’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Before I go to bed, there are a few books that I turn to to help me calm down and feel comfortable. I recently added a new book to the list by Maria Shriver. It is a heartfelt chronicle of her personal journey to a deeper understanding of her role on Earth. Yes, as Maria noted, she, like all of us, struggles with facing the unknown with courage and openness. I've been friends with Maria since 1978, when we worked at a Baltimore television station, so sitting down with her felt more like a bachelorette party than an interview as we compared notes on aging, grief, individuality, politics and her own definition of happiness. Oprah: Maria, when I was preparing for the interview with you, I reread every page of your book. It's so beautifully thought out. I like how it unfolds from chapter to chapter: “I am who I decided to become,” “Seeing the jewel inside,” “Working on the Strength of the Spirit,” “The strength to part.” You think a lot!
Maria Shriver
photo: press materials
Maria Shriver: When I travel and talk to people, I realize that everyone seems to be thinking about or already in transition—they think about global issues the same way I do.
They tell me they just graduated from high school and are worried about what will happen next. Or they just graduated from college and don’t yet know what their calling is. Women tell me they left their careers to raise children and can't understand who they have become. If they later want to return to work, they are not sure they will be able to. Like me, some have recently lost parents or separated from their spouses. Or they are worried about what is happening in the country. This is a huge shift in consciousness, and people are wondering how to understand it. OW: People are looking for direction. They are looking for their rod and staff, just like in the Bible. MS: The good thing about all this commotion is that it leads to great conversations. People want to communicate - they want to feel the joy of it.
OW: You told me you ran a campaign to promote the book and were shocked at how many people showed up. You thought you were in the wrong place! This surprises me. MS: I’m used to the crowd, but not to those who came for me. I'm more used to being invisible.
OW: What do you mean by “invisible”? MS: Well, in the past I have not spoken out on behalf of myself. I spoke on behalf of others - I encouraged people to vote, cure Alzheimer's disease, help the disabled. But I didn’t talk about what worries me and what I grieve about. In the book I shared more of what happened to me. It's hard to show your vulnerability, but it's also nice.
OW: Why do you think that? MS: For most of my childhood, I felt confused because I was always “Kennedy”, without my own name and self-identity. People have asked me, “Which Kennedy are you?” I always felt that they were more interested in what came before me than in getting to know me. I was determined to become Maria.
OW: Your mother struggled with this too. Her brothers took up all the public attention, no matter what great things she did. She passed away in 2009. What was it like being her daughter? MS: It was great. And at the same time, it was difficult because she thought that everyone could change the world and was not interested in you if you did not strive for this. She dressed like a man and always had pencils in her hair. She smoked cigars, carried a briefcase and went to the office every day. She loved power and respected people who worked without a break. This forced me to keep the bar.
OW: You talked to your mother every day. Gail acted the same way with her mother. I'm curious, what were you talking about? MS: I didn’t take a step without her approval. Talking to her calmed me like nothing else. I've heard people say that you only become a complete woman when your mother dies. Ever since I was little, I worried that I wouldn't be able to survive without my mom, but I did. I am proud that I persevered, and I am also proud that I am a softer and more open person.
OW: I remember in 2004, when the news was making headlines, I was on vacation in the Bahamas and you were on vacation in California. I was lying on a boat, and suddenly a woman in a bathing cap floated out next to me. She grabs the side of my boat and says, “You have to do something for these people! There is no time to rest anymore. You and Maria could start a fundraiser.” It was your mother. MS: I told her I couldn't believe she did it! She called me to say the same thing: “You and Oprah need to move on!” Growing up, we didn't take real vacations. If we went somewhere as a family, it was some kind of official mission. It was both exciting and exhausting.
OW: You write about the losses you suffered in succession: Teddy’s mom and uncle died in one month in 2009, then dad in 2011, and also this year there was a breakup with your husband. MS: Yes, all this made me give up. I describe this period as “marinating in grief.”
OW: How did you cope with it? MS: I have four children. I want them to see me as someone who can survive anything, because that's what they'll have to do throughout their lives.
OW: Is it important to talk about your pain? MS: We are a nation that does not know how to experience grief. Listening to others and sharing our own suffering helps us feel understood. I want to pay more attention to this, so I started my own non-profit organization.
OW: I've seen you become an even more thoughtful friend over the past few years. You regularly check with me to see how I am doing. MS: I was dependent on my mom, so after she died I had to socialize more with my friends and say things like, “Can I come over for dinner?”
OW: What does it mean to you to be happy? MS : I call them “yoohoo!” moments. I feel them inside, although now they have become different - they appear quietly. As we get older, it's important to appreciate the smaller things: my kids coming over for dinner, someone inviting me out, a person telling me I helped them. This is not Disneyland. It's when a friend calls to say hi and I realize how much we mean to each other. OW: Maria, I'm with you. Yoohoo!
