Where Maria Shriver's Dating Life Stands After Her Split From Arnold Schwarzenegger

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger were the celebrity golden couple until their unfortunate split in 2011 after the "Terminator" star's affair broke up their marriage. The two have since moved on after working through the grieving process of a divorce, which took 10 years to finalize. Although Schwarzenegger has been in a relationship with physical therapist Heather Milligan since 2012, Shriver hinted that she was single during a June 2025 appearance on "The Jamie Kern Lima Show." The former journalist shared, "I'm a big believer in relationships and love, and I've just kind of gotten to the place now where I'm thinking, 'I don't know. Maybe.'" Shriver continued, "But my life is really full. I'm not looking, but I'm open. I'm open to whatever God sends my way." She revealed that her children wanted to put her on a dating app, but her response was, "Absolutely not."

Shriver was previously linked to political strategist Matthew Dowd, who worked with Schwarzenegger during his second run for governor of California. The two went public at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s wedding with Cheryl Hines, but according to Page Six, Shriver and Dowd were together long before the former NBC News anchor's divorce. "There was a lot of flirtation. They frequently spent time alone, and Arnold was rarely, if ever, around when they were together," a source told the publication. It appears the relationship didn't last, and Shriver revealed just how heartbroken she was after her messy divorce from her longtime husband.

Maria Shriver opened up about her devastating divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger

Maria Shriver has largely remained private about her split from Arnold Schwarzenegger, but in March 2025, she shared an excerpt of her book, "I Am Maria," with People, and it detailed the pain of her divorce. "It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me," she wrote. "I was consumed with grief and wracked with confusion, anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety. I was unsure now of who I was, where I belonged. Honestly, it was brutal, and I was terrified."

Over time, Shriver learned to move on from heartbreak after her breakup, and she has a great relationship with Schwarzenegger now. "... I think there will always be a love there," she shared on Oprah Winfrey's "The Oprah Podcast" on March 25. The mom of four added, "He's the father of my children. We're grandparents together, and I don't want to have hate. I don't want to have anger in my body towards another person. I don't want that in my life at all."

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