Well this seems somewhat out of the blue…
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that former LA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, have separated.
The newspaper says that Shriver has moved out of their Brentwood mansion, and has been residing apart from the actor-turned-politician for the last few weeks.
The former first couple confirmed the separation in a joint statement released yesterday:
“This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us…After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together. 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. They are the light and the center of both of our lives. We consider this a private matter and neither we nor any of our friends or family will have further comment. We ask for compassion and respect from the media and the public.”
Since Schwarzenegger left office, the two have been somewhat separate. Shriver has worked on her women’s empowerment website, guest edited an issue of Oprah Winfrey’s magazine and promoted charity causes while Schwarzenegger has been jetting around the world, heading to Brazil’s Xingu River with director James Cameron, to Nigeria for a paid speech, and London for Mikhail Gorbachev’s 80th birthday party, among other trips.
The couple met in 1977, when NBC’s Tom Brokaw introduced Shriver to Schwarzenegger at a charity tennis tournament. The two married in 1986, and have four children. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on April 26.