# Maria & Arnold calling it quits after 25 years **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396 "2011-05-10T14:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/101 "2011-05-20T04:40:58Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > While I am sure that many Dopers will find it crass and vulgar of me to say, I am willing to point out that the “other woman” is pig-ugly, … That was the obvious thing that jumped out at me. At first I was wondering just how kinky she had to be to balance out Maria, but hearing about how unhappy they have been for years and the underlying issues, I guess she just had to be willing and available. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/102 "2011-05-20T11:21:10Z")
Maria frightens me. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/103 "2011-05-20T12:45:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Apparently in addition to being physically revolting, (obese and pig-ugly is actually putting it mildly, as several late-night talk show hosts have also pointed out) she is also a thief, as her ex-husband, (whom she was cheating on when she was fucking Arnold) has been paying child support for a kid that wasn’t his for the past 14 years. Firstly, “pig-ugly” appear to me to be more or less “ordinary”. Secondly, why is everyone assuming that Ahnuld hasnt been paying for the kid all this time? There have been all sorts of articles about “How did Schwarzenegger keep the child hidden for years?” and a lawyer weighs in saying that about 25% of his work with the rich and famous involve discreet settlements and non-disclosure agreements. Clearly if Schwazenegger has paid for the maid’s NIECE’s quinceanera then he’s been very “generous” with her family over the years. I would find it extremely unlikely that it’s been kept quiet all this time without the maid getting some significant child support payments all the years that Ahnuld was in office, all kept under the radar. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/104 "2011-05-20T13:12:16Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Maria frightens me. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/105 "2011-05-20T14:26:56Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Why? Pointy. ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/106 "2011-05-20T20:22:44Z")
Can anyone tell me, has it come out yet as to WHY this is coming out now? Was Arnold being threatened with blackmail and so he chose to tell Maria instead (like David Letterman)? I haven’t seen anything explaining why, after keeping the secret for 14 years, it came out now. The maid retired in January, Arnold left office in January…just coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/107 "2011-05-20T20:27:29Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > Can anyone tell me, has it come out yet as to WHY this is coming out now? Was Arnold being threatened with blackmail and so he chose to tell Maria instead (like David Letterman)? I haven’t seen anything explaining why, after keeping the secret for 14 years, it came out now. The maid retired in January, Arnold left office in January…just coincidence? Having seen a pic of the kid, the question is why everyone didn’t know the “secret” years ago … kid looks just like Arny. Unless Maria-the-maid hid Arny Jr. in a closet all those years, you’d think pretty well everyone close to the family would have noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/108 "2011-05-20T20:31:31Z")
I can’t find it now, but I remember seeing something about how a couple of papers (including, I think, the Los Angeles Times) were digging into this and were about to reveal the story. Presumably this prompted him to confess to his wife. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/109 "2011-05-20T20:38:36Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > Firstly, “pig-ugly” appear to me to be more or less “ordinary”. While I would tend to be a little more circumspect in characterizing her looks, I think she’s more repulsive than merely ordinary. Part of it is that there’s a tendency on most people’s part to have higher expectations for the sorts of action that wealthy, powerful, and famous people would be getting. I consider myself pretty darned ordinary, and naturally most (nearly all) of my sexual partners would be filed under “O” as well, but this woman was well below _my_ mere mortal’s threshold for attractiveness at the time when Arnold was carrying on with her. The mind balks. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/110 "2011-05-20T20:46:01Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > > [@joebuck20](#): > > > > Hmm, I guess he really is a sexual tyrannosaurus. > > That was Jesse Ventura. All predators look alike when you’re prey. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/111 "2011-05-20T20:51:03Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > While I would tend to be a little more circumspect in characterizing her looks, I think she’s more repulsive than merely ordinary. > > Part of it is that there’s a tendency on most people’s part to have higher expectations for the sorts of action that wealthy, powerful, and famous people would be getting. I consider myself pretty darned ordinary, and naturally most (nearly all) of my sexual partners would be filed under “O” as well, but this woman was well below _my_ mere mortal’s threshold for attractiveness at the time when Arnold was carrying on with her. The mind balks. Admittedly, she’s no beauty now, but I haven’t seen any pics of what she looked like 14 years ago … ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/112 "2011-05-20T21:01:46Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > Can anyone tell me, has it come out yet as to WHY this is coming out now? Was Arnold being threatened with blackmail and so he chose to tell Maria instead (like David Letterman)? I haven’t seen anything explaining why, after keeping the secret for 14 years, it came out now. The maid retired in January, Arnold left office in January…just coincidence? I don’t know how credible this website is, but here is an article: > **[Arnold Confessed After Maria Confronted Housekeeper About Love Child](https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/05/arnold-confessed-after-maria-confronted-housekeeper-about-love-child/)** > > Arnold Schwarzenegger did not voluntarily tell his wife that he fathered a love child with the housekeeper  --  instead he confessed only after Maria Shriver > [@cite](#): > > Arnold Schwarzenegger did not voluntarily tell his wife that he fathered a love child with the housekeeper – instead he confessed only after Maria Shriver confronted the woman, who admitted it. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/113 "2011-05-20T21:05:58Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Admittedly, she’s no beauty now, but I haven’t seen any pics of what she looked like 14 years ago … TMZ has photos of the maid in question. She hasn’t aged well. If you can find it, the one where she is in a pirates outfit, it seems that back then she was fair to average looking. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/114 "2011-05-20T21:19:22Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Admittedly, she’s no beauty now, but I haven’t seen any pics of what she looked like 14 years ago … [Here ya go](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13819505&postcount=88). ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/115 "2011-05-20T21:34:17Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > Pointy. Maybe that’s why Arnold went for the maid, she had some meat on her and wasn’t all sharp and angular. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/116 "2011-05-20T23:15:19Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > Can anyone tell me, has it come out yet as to WHY this is coming out now? Was Arnold being threatened with blackmail and so he chose to tell Maria instead (like David Letterman)? I haven’t seen anything explaining why, after keeping the secret for 14 years, it came out now. The maid retired in January, Arnold left office in January…just coincidence? the la times had gotten hold of a rumour, found a picture of the poor kid, dug around for a bit and confronted arnold with the info for a comment before filing the story. they may have asked maria about it as well tipping her off to what was going on. i feel bad for marie, her kids, the maid’s son and ex. to have things go so very public is really horrid. the 2 boys who are only days apart in age really don’t deserve to have to deal with this. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/117 "2011-05-21T00:38:52Z")
Harping on the maid’s appearance isn’t really helpful or particularly mature BUT when I see a picture of her all I can think of is Rosario the maid on Will & Grace. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/118 "2011-05-21T00:55:11Z")
She is no raving beauty, but to me she looks more ‘comfortable’ to be with. Sort of soft and mom like. Maria looks all prickly and sharp edges and shrewish. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/119 "2011-05-21T20:05:31Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Apparently in addition to being physically revolting, … she is also a thief, as her ex-husband, (whom she was cheating on when she was fucking Arnold) has been paying child support for a kid that wasn’t his for the past 14 years. Actually, no. According to this, in their divorce papers she declared that they have no children. > **[Arnold's Mistress: 'I Had NO Kids With My Hubby' -- Read Their Divorce Papers](https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/05/arnolds-mistress-i-had-no-kids-with-my-hubby-read-their-divorce-papers/)** > > By Jen HegerRadar Legal Editor&By Alexis TereszcukRadar Staff Reporter > Mildred Baena, Arnold Schwarzenegger's one-time mistress, filed for divorce from her (link to papers on that site) So whether or not you think she is repulsive looking or repulsive behaving for cheating with Arnold, she is not taking child support from her ex-husband. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396/120 "2011-05-21T20:25:47Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I’m actually surprised about this; I thought Arnold would ‘play by the rules’ and have enough self-control to stop himself if he were tempted to stray - his whole life has been so controlled otherwise. If you have done some reading about Arnold’s early career back in the 70s when he was getting his start working with Charles Gaines (_Pumping Iron,_ _Stay Hungry_) and was really largely unknown except in the world of bodybuilding, it’s pretty obvious that he is not the monogamous type. The picture that shines through Gaines’ writing in the book and through Arnold’s own personality in the documentary is a super-alpha male for whom an endless string of women is really just a diversion from his real love, which is himself. He was a celebrated playboy and sexual adventurer who enjoyed having many different experiences with many different people (including, apparently, group sex involving multiple men and women.) He was very openly sexual in a way that seems perfectly fitting with his love of displaying his body; he had no problem with attention from homosexual men, for instance, and had posed nude for gay magazines. And he truly loves women, as he spoke honestly about his very diverse and wide-ranging preference for female physical types in _Pumping Iron._ It’s pretty impossible to imagine this guy limiting himself to one woman and one woman only, for decades on end, if you have a clear picture of who the real Arnold Schwarzenegger actually is as a man, underneath the action-hero persona and the many pop-culture parodies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-arnold-calling-it-quits-after-25-years/581396.md?page=7)