Arnold Schwarzenegger Divorce: Arnold Details His Strange Relationship With Ex-Wife Maria Shriver

Arnold Schwarzenegger is opening up about his divorce with Maria Shriver, and in the process is shedding light on the strange relationship that he and ex-wife still maintain.

Shriver filed for divorce from the actor and former California governor in 2011 after his numerous affairs came to light. The couple tried to make it work, but ultimately went through with the split.

Now, in an interview with Howard Stern the actor shed light on the relationship he and Shriver still maintain. Though they had an ugly divorce that included a revelation that Arnold fathered a love child, he and Maria have still managed to remain close.

Arnold explained a surprise Maria helped plan while Arnold was in Germany promoting the Terminator movie.

“I walk into the room and I see the room full of balloons… It was from all four kids and from my wife. There was a note — ‘You’re the greatest dad, the greatest man, we love you dad’ — Each one sent a card. Each one sent a gift. That’s the relationship we have.”

This isn’t the first time Arnold Schwarzenegger has been very candid about his divorce and the relationship he maintained with Shriver. Back in 2012, he told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he believed he would one day reconcile with Maria Shriver.

“I’m the forever optimist. So I do see that Maria and I get together eventually,” said Schwarzenegger.

In the interview, Arnold admitted to his affair with household staffer Mildred Baena and took responsibility for his marriage falling apart.

“I created a huge screw-up. I had this child, and it destroyed my family,” Schwarzenegger said. “It was a situation where I couldn’t even blame anybody else but myself, because my wife was a fantastic wife… my kids were fantastic. The thing that I cherished the most, you know, I destroyed by some stupid things that I’ve done. So now for me it’s important to kind of rebuild again, get the trust back with the kids and with my wife and hopefully get back together again. Bring the family back together again.”

At the time, it was reported that Arnold and Maria were in therapy, and that Shriver was struggling with divorce, which is discouraged in her Catholic faith. She also comes from a Kennedy family whose women have long stood by their men after extra-marital affairs.

This week, Arnold Schwarzenegger said the process was doomed from the start and that the therapist was no help to them at all.

“That guy was so full of s—. He said more crap and more nonsense,” he said. “It was absolutely counterproductive to our future relationship… Maria talked me into it. I went, and I felt instinctively maybe I shouldn’t go because I know I screwed up. I don’t have to go through anyone to have to explain to me anything. I apologized to Maria. I apologized to the kids.”

Though Arnold Schwarzenegger may be open about divorce and still refers to Maria as his “wife,” the actor and politician also said he knows there is no hope to reconcile.

[Image via Getty Images/Justin Sullivan]