For better or worse, divorce can change the makeup of a family.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver were married for 25 years before Shriver filed for divorce in 2011. Although the former couple split in 2011, following Schwarzenegger’s bombshell admission, their divorce wasn’t finalized until December 2021.
However, despite their separation, Schwarzenegger and Shriver have remained close and maintained a relationship over the past decade.
Their oldest daughter Katherine, now 32, has said, “Just because my parents aren’t necessarily together doesn’t mean anything or affect our family in any kind of way.”
While Schwarzenegger and Shriver split following the news that former California governor fathered a child with the family’s longtime housekeeper, Schwarzenegger hoped the two would be able to reconcile.
Unfortunately that was not the case as they both moved on and their divorce was finalized in 2021.
Even though the former couple’s relationship with each other changed, their relationship with their four children didn’t.
When they announced their divorce, the two called them “the light and the center of both of our lives.”
“After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together,” the statement read at the time. “At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship. We are continuing to parent our four children together.”
Over the years, they have gathered to celebrate holidays and important milestones.
And now that their oldest daughter has two daughters of their own, it’s likely the former couple will be spending even more time together as they watch their grandchildren grow.
Obviously not everyone can maintain a relationship following a divorce, but I’m glad it worked out for Arnold and Maria. Living a life together as a couple may not have been for them, but they’re still a family unit.