Arnold Schwarzenegger Reminds Everyone Just How Expensive His Divorce From Maria Shriver Was

It sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger is still feeling the financial pain from his 2021 divorce from Maria Shriver.

The 78-year-old action star joked about how much money he paid his ex-wife during a Sept. 18 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony honoring journalist Chris Wallace. After praising the veteran broadcaster, known for his time at NBC, ABC, and Fox News, as a “fantastic journalist,” Schwarzenegger went in for the kill with his quip.

“I know a lot about journalists. I’ve been interviewed — you can imagine, in my lifetime — by thousands and thousands of journalists,” the former California governor said in the video clip. “But not only that, I was also married to a journalist [referring to Shriver].”

Schwarzenegger continued, “The only difference between Chris and Maria is that Chris has never taken half [of] my money.” The audience, of course, laughed, but let’s not forget why he was served with divorce papers in the first place after 25 years of marriage.

The Hollywood power couple separated in May 2011 after Schwarzenegger’s affair with the family’s housekeeper, Mildred Baena, was revealed. The fling produced his son, Joseph, 27, who is the same age as Schwarzenegger and Shriver’s youngest son, Christopher — the boys were born a week apart.

Although their divorce wasn’t finalized until 2021, Shriver walked away with half of Schwarzenegger’s earnings from 1986 to 2011, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly in June 2022. There was no prenuptial agreement between them, and per California law, Shriver was entitled to half of his earned income and pension during the years they were married.

In 2014, CNBC estimated that Schwarzenegger was worth between $500 million and $750 million at the time, so the divorce settlement was in the neighborhood of $250 million and $375 million.

In 2023, Schwarzenegger took accountability for his choices while he was married to Shriver — and he loves that they are still friends.

“We never left the [first] chapter. Because remember, it’s not like we had a feud,” he told People. “We didn’t have a fight. It’s just my f—k up, right?” He was sentimental about the decades they spent together and the family they created. My chapter with Maria will continue on forever,” he explained. “Even though it’s a different relationship, there’s no reason for me to feel anything other than love for her.”

It was an expensive and painful lesson for The Terminator.

Before you go, click here to see the longest celebrity divorces that took years to get finalized.