Maria Shriver Says She Felt ‘Invisible’ When ‘Standing Next to’ Arnold Schwarzenegger During Marriage

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Alex Bona/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Maria Shriver; Arnold Schwarzenegger

Maria Shriver To share her feelings about being “invisible” over the 25 years of marriage, she has opened up. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“I would find it hard to get angry at people that didn’t acknowledge I existed when Arnold was standing right next to me, or when my uncle or some other person was standing there,” the journalist, 67, stated on the Making Space with Hoda Kotb podcast’s Monday episode.

“And then, I [realized] They were teaching them a lesson that it wasn’t about whether or not they see me,” Shriver, who is also well-knownly a Kennedy family member, added. “Do I see you?” Are you able to see me?

Shriver and Terminator Star, 75, first met at the Robert F. Kennedy Tennis Tournament in August 1977. being introduced by NBC’s Tom Brokaw.

The ex-couple were married in 1986 and had four kids: daughters Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt33. Christina Schwarzenegger, 31, plus sons Patrick Schwarzenegger, 29, and Christopher Schwarzenegger, 25.

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Premiere Of National Geographic's "The Long Road Home" - Red Carpet

Premiere Of National Geographic’s “The Long Road Home” – Red Carpet

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Christina Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver and Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2017

RELATED: Maria Shriver Reveals She Went to a Convent After Arnold Schwarzenegger Split to “Look for Advice”

Shriver filed for divorce in July 2011 After 25 years of marriage. Schwarzenegger was married for 25 years. publicly admitted he had fathered another son — Joseph Baena, 25 — with the family’s longtime housekeeper Mildred Baena. The former couple divorce was finalized December 2021

Since their split, Schwarzenegger & Shriver have remained together as a family. September 2022 will mark the 20th anniversary of Shriver’s death. they posed with son Patrick at a dinner in a photo shared to his Instagram, in honor of his 29th birthday.

Shriver spoke to the host on Monday’s podcast episode Hoda Kotb that she began feeling like she “had the freedom or permission” to be herself when she filed for divorce from Schwarzenegger.

“I felt at first like, ‘Oh, I’d better figure out what the truth is.’ She replied. “I did many things, but I went to a convent to seek advice and be silent.

RELATED VIDEO – Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrates his 73rd birthday with Maria Shriver, ex-wife, and their 4 children

That’s what the journalist and author shared. the convent’s Reverend Mother gave her permission “to go out and become Maria” during her visit — something she said she’s never revealed before.

“The Reverend Mother there said to me at the very end — and I actually have written about this, but I haven’t shared — she said, ‘I think you came here looking for permission,’ ” Shriver told Kotb, 58.

“I felt as if I was in a scene from a movie.” The Sound of MusicShe continued. “She said, “You can’t live here, but you have permission to go outside and become Maria.” I was crying. I was like, “Who is that?” “

“I think the word ‘permission’ … I had never given myself permission to feel, to be vulnerable, to be weak, to be brought to my knees, and the world did it to me,” Shriver added of the experience. “And then I was like: ‘Okay God, let’s move. I’m going to do this and learn as much as I can about what my role is and how I should learn it. “

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