Maria Shriver

Maria Owings Shriver, born on November 6, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, is an American journalist, author, and member of the prominent Shriver and Kennedy families. She is the daughter of Sargent Shriver, a politician and diplomat, and Eunice Kennedy, an activist and member of the Kennedy family. Through her maternal lineage, she is related to several notable figures in American politics, including her uncle, the late President John F. Kennedy, as well as Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. Shriver is of Irish and German descent and identifies as Roman Catholic.

Shriver spent part of her childhood in Paris, living abroad with her family, particularly during her middle school years. Following her time in France, she moved to Bethesda, Maryland, in 1970. She attended Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart high school and graduated in 1973. She then enrolled at Manhattanville College for two years before transferring to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies in June 1977.

Shriver began her career in journalism with KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She co-anchored "The CBS Morning News" alongside Forrest Sawyer from August 1985 to August 1986. Subsequently, she joined NBC News in 1986, where she co-anchored "Sunday Today" from 1987 until 1990, served as the Saturday anchor in 1989, and as the Sunday anchor in 1990. During the 1990s, she contributed to "NBC Nightly News" as a Saturday and Sunday anchor, and from 1992 to 2004, she was a contributor to "Dateline NBC." Her work earned her a Peabody Award in 1998 and recognition as a co-anchor for NBC's Emmy-winning coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics.

In her role as a journalist, Shriver reported on political issues and national events. She took an unpaid leave of absence from NBC News in August 2003 when her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, became a candidate in the California gubernatorial recall election. After Schwarzenegger was inaugurated as California's governor on November 17, 2003, Shriver became the First Lady of California, a role she held until 2011. She then returned to NBC, making additional appearances for "Dateline NBC," before formally requesting to be relieved of her duties at NBC News in February 2004 due to conflicts of interest between her journalistic work and her role as First Lady.

Shriver has also appeared in film and television, including roles as herself in the 1993 film "Last Action Hero" and in the series "That's So Raven" in 2006. She briefly hosted episodes of "Larry King Live" on CNN in 2007 but decided not to pursue a full return to journalism after media coverage of Anna Nicole Smith’s death.

A focus of her advocacy has been Alzheimer's disease. Following her father’s diagnosis in 2003, she became active in raising awareness, fundraising, and supporting biomedical research. She was the executive producer of "The Alzheimer's Project," a documentary series that premiered on HBO in 2009, which won two Emmy Awards. She also authored "Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?", a children's book related to Alzheimer's, and published a coloring book titled "Color Your Mind" in 2016 for individuals with the disease. Shriver has been involved with organizations such as the Special Olympics, serving on its International Board, and Best Buddies, where she is on the advisory board. She has also promoted the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in various settings through programs like "WE Include."

In addition to her advocacy work, Shriver has engaged in producing documentaries about her family's legacy, including "American Idealist" (2008), which chronicles the life of her father, Sargent Shriver. She serves on the advisory board of the Sargent Shriver Peace Institute.

Shriver has authored several books, including "I've Been Thinking...: Reflections Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life," published in 2018, which became a bestseller. She also co-produced the documentary "Take Your Pills" (2018), about psychostimulant medications, with her daughter Christina Schwarzenegger.

In 2009, Shriver launched "The Shriver Report," a comprehensive study on women’s roles in American society, produced in partnership with organizations such as the Center for American Progress and the Rockefeller Foundation. The report examined various social issues, including workforce participation, poverty, and family dynamics.

Maria Shriver was married to Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom she has four children. The couple separated in 2011 and divorced in 2021.