Arnold Schwarzenegger's First Time Meeting Ex Maria Shriver's Mom Was A Drunken Disaster

Bodybuilder-turned-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver's 25-year marriage produced four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher Schwarzenegger. Though she was not thrilled about him running for governor of California, Shriver stood by his side during his campaign and victory in October 2003. Unfortunately, their picturesque relationship came to a halt in 2011 when Shriver learned that Schwarzenegger had fathered a child with their housekeeper, Mildred Baena. While their separation was rocky, ultimately ending the 25-year marriage in divorce, the way their relationship kicked off was a bit of a disaster, as well.

Schwarzenegger and Shriver met in the 1970s during a tennis tournament hosted by Shriver's renowned relatives, the Kennedy family. While Schwarzenegger was immediately attracted to Shriver, he didn't leave the best first impression. This was especially true when speaking with his soon-to-be mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the younger sister of former President John F. Kennedy. While he does have regrets about his first time encountering his future wife and mother-in-law, the event didn't deter Shriver from continuing a relationship with Schwarzenegger.

Arnold Schwarzenegger tried his hand at tennis for the first time during Robert F. Kennedy's tournament in 1977. During the event, filled with members of the political family, Schwarzenegger admitted that he'd been drinking alcohol. Unfortunately, by the time Maria Shriver's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, made her way over to him to introduce Shriver to him, he was intoxicated. When the Special Olympics founder encountered Schwarzenegger again to tell him that Shriver was interested in him, the actor replied, "Well, your daughter has a really nice a**."

"What a stupid thing to say. I don't even know why I said it," Schwarzenegger admitted in his June 2023 Netflix documentary, "Arnold." Luckily, his future mother-in-law seemed to have a great sense of humor and responded by laughing off the remark.

Despite such an unsavory initial meeting, the comments did not deter Shriver nor her mother from giving Schwarzenegger a fair chance. Following the match, Schwarzenegger spent time getting to know Shriver. Shortly after, he began working closely with Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the Special Olympics.

Maria Shriver was in no rush to tie the knot. Arnold Schwarzenegger first popped the question in 1981. However, Shriver shot down the notion. In his 2013 memoir, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story," Schwarzenegger revealed that Shriver's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was not on board with her daughter traveling for long periods with Schwarzenegger while he was working. This was due to the couple not yet being married. To remedy this, Schwarzenegger suggested they wed. Shriver declined because she worried about her mom's reaction. "'No, no, no,' she said, shaking her head, 'I could never go to her with that.'" Schwarzenegger wrote in his book.

Shriver waited until she was more established in her journalism career, landing a job as a CBS News reporter in 1983 before working as an anchor on CBS Morning News in 1985. Finally, Shriver and Schwarzenegger walked down the aisle in April 1986. From there, it appears that Schwarzenegger maintained a healthy connection with his mother-in-law, who would later assist him with his political run for governor. After her passing in 2009, Schwarzenegger praised the sports trailblazer, telling the Los Angeles Times, "Eunice was the light of our family," an indicator that their first meeting didn't interfere with their bond.