Maria Shriver Recalls ‘Brutal’ Divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger Following Affair: ‘I Was Terrified’ (BOOK)

Maria Shriver opened up about her divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger in her new poetry book, I Am Maria.

The author recalled the pain she felt after the actor "blew up" their marriage following his affair with their housekeeper, Mildred Baena, resulting in a son, Joseph Baena.

"It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me. Without my marriage, my parents, a job — the dam of my lifelong capital-D Denial just blew apart,” Maria wrote, according to People, referring to her late parents, Eunice and Sargent Shriver.

"Now, much has been written about the end of my marriage, and frankly I don’t feel like I need or want to discuss it here, or anywhere," Maria continued.

After Arnold admitted to the affair, she "was consumed with grief and wracked with confusion, anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety" and "was unsure now of who I was, where I belonged."

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"Honestly, it was brutal, and I was terrified," she said.

The philanthropist stated that her children — Katherine, 35, Christina, 33, Patrick, 31, and Christopher, 27 — showed "grace, valor, and courage" throughout the ordeal.

"Everything about their world and the sanctity of their home got uprooted in an instant," the 69-year-old added.

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Arnold and Maria tied the knot in April 1986. Twenty-five years later, in May 2011 they announced their separation after the Kindergarten Cop star admitted his infidelity during a marriage counseling session.

Mildred gave birth to her son with the former Governor of California in 1997.