Former Republican Calif. gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and wife Maria Shriver have split up after 25 years of marriage, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
The couple said in a joint statement that they were “amicably separating.”
“At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship,” the statement reads. “We ask for compassion and respect from the media and the public.”
The Times added that Shriver had moved out of the Brentwood home that she shared with the “Terminator” actor, who was elected governor in 2003.
Shriver, a member of the Kennedy family and journalist, tied the knot with the Austrian film star in April 1986, two years after his big breakthrough parts in movies “Conan the Destroyer” and “The Terminator.”
The separation comes five months after Schwarzenegger left office. It was widely expected that he’d return to the entertainment business upon the end of his governor position. The former body builder tweeted earlier this year, “Exciting news. My friends at CAA (Creative Artists Agency, his talent firm) have been asking me for 7 years when they can take offers seriously. Gave them the green light today.”
“This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us,” the couple said in the statement. “After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together.”
Schwarzenegger and Shriver have four children.