Advertisement

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger's divorce will finally be finalized

A source said Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger's divorce will be finally finalized by Christmas.

By Gabrielle Levy
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose wife Maria Shriver is the niece of Senator Edward Kennedy, attends funeral services for U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston, Massachusetts August 29, 2009. Senator Kennedy died late Tuesday after a battle with cancer. UPI/Brian Snyder/Pool
1 of 2 | California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose wife Maria Shriver is the niece of Senator Edward Kennedy, attends funeral services for U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston, Massachusetts August 29, 2009. Senator Kennedy died late Tuesday after a battle with cancer. UPI/Brian Snyder/Pool | License Photo

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Three years after they announced the end of their 25-year marriage, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver will soon, finally be divorced.

The pair -- whose marriage fell apart after revelations Schwarzenegger had an affair with a member of their household staff and fathered a son, now 16 -- filed for divorce in July 2011.

Advertisement

"It's been a long road, for a long time it wasn't a priority for either of them, but the divorce is almost complete," a source told the MailOnline. "The lawyers are just ironing out the final details. If everything goes to plan it should be tied up by Christmas.

"It has been a long legal process and not an easy one by any means, but Maria and Arnold are now amicable and have reached an agreement."

Schwarzenegger, a former governor of California and movie star, has a personal net worth of $300 million. Shriver, an Emmy-winning journalist and member of the Kennedy family, has around $100 million. Under California law, Shriver is entitled to half of her spouse's earnings during their marriage.

Advertisement

The pair original met in 1977, and began dating in 1982. They have four children, Katherine, 25, Christina, 23, Patrick, 21, and Christopher, 17.

Schwarzenegger's son with Mildred Baena, Joseph, was born just one week after Christopher.

The news comes at a welcome time for Shriver, who stepped out with boyfriend Matthew Dowd at her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s wedding this summer. When Shriver and Dowd's relationship went public, there were rumors the couple had carried on a years-long affair before the 2011 separation.

Dowd, a political analyst for ABC News, denied they began their relationship in 2006, instead saying he and Shriver were "just friends" while he worked on Schwarzenegger's reelection campaign.

"She and Matthew are solid together and they both want to put it behind them and focus on their relationship and their future together," a friend of Dowd's said. "The legal battle has not been easy but they are both philosophical about it, Maria has been very strong."

"Matthew is a straight shooter. It's easy to see why Maria would be taken with him," the source continued. "They have been building on their friendship for many years and they are now both ready to make a go of it."

Advertisement

Dowd has been twice married and divorced. He has two grown sons with his first wife, and a 12-year-old daughter with his second wife. A second child, his daughter's twin, died as an infant in 2002.

Latest Headlines