Over a decade after separating, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are officially divorced, having reached a $400m deal held up by ‘lack of motivation’.
A sitting judge was required to officially enter the divorce into the court system on Tuesday at L.A. Superior Court after a private judge mediated and signed off on the divorce earlier in December 2021, according to TMZ.
Arnold and Maria famously remained estranged for years after the journalist filed for divorce in July 1, 2011 following news he fathered a child – Joseph Baena – with their housekeeper Mildred Patricia ‘Patty’ Baena.
The divorce remained in limbo for a decade due to both the ‘lack of motivation’ and a complex property settlement agreement, with his empire including a Brentwood mansion, an Idaho holiday home and a number of investment properties.
It’s official! Over a decade after separating, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are officially divorced
The couple, who wed at St Francis Xavier Church, in Hyannis, Massachusetts in 1986, had a reported net worth of over $400 million but had to divide that in half as they had no prenup, according to The Blast.
The actor has made no secret of his forays into the world of real estate and previously revealed he made his first million on property rather than acting. He said: ‘I did not rely on my movie career to make a living’.
He continues to own several property holding companies that own real estate in Los Angeles mainly in Venice Beach. He has a stake in a complex of office buildings, high end houses, and other properties.
It is believed the couple split the property empire. Ultimately, the exes were able to divide their fortune in half fairly evenly, but the exact settlement remains confidential, according to The Blast.
Way back: The couple are seen at their 1986 wedding at St Francis Xavier Church, in Hyannis, Massachusetts
Wow: Arnold’s Brentwood mansion is seen in 2004. The couple are said to have evenly split their properties
Swanky: His Brentwood home is seen in 2011, in the wake of revelations about his love child
In June, Arnold filed a ‘declaration of disclosure’ indicating that the case is ‘coming to an end,’ according to legal documents obtained by The Blast.
Sources told the outlet the former couple were ‘trying to wrap things up and this is a good sign they are getting close.’
A final declaration of disclosure must be exchanged between divorcing spouses before they ‘can enter into a final agreement, such as a stipulated judgment, that divides assets or addresses support issues,’ according to Farzad Law.
Maria and Arnold married in 1986 and did not have a prenup. They have four children together: Katherine, 32, Christina, 30, Patrick, 28, and Christopher, 24
Arnold and Maria famously remained estranged for years after the journalist filed for divorce in July 2011 following news he fathered a child – Joseph Baena – with their housekeeper Mildred Patricia “Patty” Baena
Prior to Arnold’s recent filing, nothing had been done about his divorce case with Maria in over four years, with ‘the last being an address change for one of Arnold’s lawyers.’
Maria was represented by famous divorce lawyer Laura Wasser while Arnold hired Kristina Royce.
Joseph was born on October 2, 1997, only a few days after Maria gave birth to the couple’s fourth child, Christopher.
But it wasn’t until May of 2011 that it was revealed that the housekeeper’s child was his.
Baena pictured with his mother, Mildred Patricia “Patty” Baena
Arnold, his daughter Christina, son Patrick, ex Maria, and daughter Katherine pictured together in 2017
The Terminator star was not aware Joseph was his son until seven or eight years after he was born.
Shriver was reportedly devastated because she was friends with the maid, who had been working in their LA home for many years, and trusted her.
And finding out the father of the maid’s son was actually her husband was crushing.
When asked about Maria filing for divorce and how he’s had time to reflect in a 2017 interview with OBJECTified, the former governor said, ‘I do not need any time to reflect, when I know it was a major, major screw up.’
Despite their split, the exes remained cordial over the years but they have both moved on romantically
Arnold has been dating physical therapist Heather Milligan for over eight years
Maria and Arnold married in 1986 and did not have a prenup. They have four children together: Katherine, 32, Christina, 30, Patrick, 28, and Christopher, 24.
Joseph is now 24-years-old and is close to his action star dad, with the pair often hitting the gym together and sharing their sessions to Instagram.
Despite their split, the exes remained cordial over the years and have both moved on romantically.
Arnold has been dating physical therapist Heather Milligan for over eight years while Maria was in a relationship with Matthew Dowd.
Schwarzenegger pictured with his family at his inaugural ceremony at the State Capitol in California in 2003
Schwarzenegger has remained close to Baena and has been seen working out with him