Arnie and wife separate
Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver have separated after 25 years of marriage.
The shock announcement comes eight years after the Terminator star and former California governor was caught up in a scandal over allegations that he groped women. There was no immediate suggestion anyone else was involved in the break-up.
In a statement last night, the couple, who have four children, confirmed they were living apart while they "work on the future" of their troubled marriage. Shriver, 55, moved out of the family estate in Brentwood, California, several weeks ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Since her husband left the governor's office in January, there has been speculation over the fact that the couple appeared to be leading separate lives. While Schwarzenegger, 63, was planning his Hollywood comeback, his TV broadcaster wife had spoken openly about her uncertainty over where her life was heading.
The couple's statement said: "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 centre of both of our lives." They urged the press and public to respect their privacy.
Shriver, a member of the Kennedy dynasty, played a pivotal role in helping the Austrian-born actor be elected governor in 2003, after "Gropegate" became public weeks before the vote. Six women came forward to detail Schwarzenegger's alleged sexual misconduct between 1975 and 2000. Three of them - one was British former TV presenter Anna Richardson - claimed the champion bodybuilder grabbed their breasts. A fourth alleged he touched her buttock.
A fifth woman claimed he tried to take off her bathing suit in a lift and another alleged he asked her about a sex act after pulling her onto his lap. A 1977 magazine interview also surfaced in which he discussed attending orgies and using marijuana.
Schwarzenegger admitted he "be-haved badly sometimes," and apologised, saying: "I have done things that were not right, which I thought then was playful." At the time, Shriver defended her husband and stood by him as he won successive governorship campaigns. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on April 26.
Born in Chicago, Shriver is the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, John F Kennedy's niece. She met Schwarzenegger in 1977 at a charity tennis tournament at her mother's home. Their children are aged 14, 18, 20 and 21.
