Maria Shriver was seen attending the 79th birthday festivities for her ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles.
Shriver, 70, and Schwarzenegger, who married in 1986, share four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. Their marriage concluded in 2011 following the revelation that Schwarzenegger had fathered a child with their housekeeper, Mildred Baena. Schwarzenegger and Baena's son, Joseph Baena, is now 28 and has pursued a career in bodybuilding, resembling his father.
Despite the circumstances of their separation, Shriver and Schwarzenegger have maintained an amicable co-parenting relationship. Shriver was observed arriving at the birthday dinner with a smile.
Shriver's public profile was initially shaped by her family's political prominence, with her uncle being President John F. Kennedy and her father, Sargent Shriver, a key figure in President Lyndon B. Johnson's anti-poverty initiatives. Schwarzenegger, originally from Austria, rose to international fame as a champion bodybuilder before transitioning to acting, starring in films such as Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator.
The couple married in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in April 1986. For decades, they presented a united front, a dynamic that continued even during Schwarzenegger's tenure as Governor of California. However, in 2011, shortly after he left office, news broke of his child with his housekeeper. At the time, Joseph Baena was unaware of his paternity, believing he was the son of his mother's ex-husband.
Patty Baena, who worked for Schwarzenegger for two decades, stated that while she was initially unaware of his paternity, the physical resemblance between Schwarzenegger and Joseph became increasingly apparent over time. She also recounted a conversation with Shriver, who had confronted her about the paternity, during which Shriver reportedly cried with her and expressed that it was not solely Schwarzenegger's fault.
Weeks after the scandal broke, Shriver filed for divorce in July 2011, which was finalized a decade later. Following their separation, Schwarzenegger began a relationship with physical therapist Heather Milligan, who is 27 years his junior. They met after Schwarzenegger underwent shoulder surgery and received a recommendation for Milligan's services from Sylvester Stallone.
Schwarzenegger has since become a supportive father to Joseph, who has followed in his father's footsteps as a bodybuilder. While Joseph has spoken positively about his father, reports have suggested that Shriver's children have maintained a distance from their half-brother.