Oprah & Maria Shriver on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah This episode of The Oprah Podcast features special guest Maria Shriver, an Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist, former national news anchor, seven-time New York Times best-selling author and a world-renowned women’s health and Alzheimer’s research advocate. Maria Shriver, who has been dear friends with Oprah since they met nearly 50 years ago, joins the Podcast to talk about her new book of poetry titled I AM MARIA: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home. After reading the breathtaking book, Oprah said Maria Shriver “has Americans reading poetry again!” And she called it “raw and soul-baring… My jaw was on the floor!” Through poetry, Maria Shriver, who was born into American political royalty and public tragedy, shares never-before-heard intimate stories from her childhood including what it was like growing up with her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and her father, Sargent Shriver, as well as being the only girl in a household of brothers she calls “chaotic” and “terrifying.” Maria candidly talks about her 25-year marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger and what happened the moment she found out her marriage was over. Maria shares lessons on what the betrayal and heartbreak of her divorce taught her about her past traumas and how she’s been able to find forgiveness. Maria writes about raising her four children, her favorite role of all – grandmother to Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger’s three children (they call her Mama G) - and how she’s finally found peace. Maria says, “I never imagined writing poetry would help me embark on a journey deep into myself. I never imagined that everything I sought or thought I needed was within me all along.” Oprah tells viewers and listeners she sees this book of poetry as an invitation for anyone who is ready to create an authentic and meaningful life for themselves. BUY THE BOOK! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720451/i-am-maria-by-maria-shriver/ Also available on Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/i-am-maria/id6736963057 Also available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uL5C8zhxMc1HBpu6wK0AO?si=daf8bbdf409a4775 This episode of The Oprah Podcast is presented by LillyDirect. Redefining the healthcare experience as a digital health platform that offers disease management resources to help make it easier for people living with chronic conditions to access quality care. Visit their convenient healthcare services at LillyDirect.com: https://bit.ly/4j2MTKv 00:00:00 - Welcome Maria Shriver 00:02:37 - Maria’s book “I Am Maria” 00:03:30 - Maria and Oprah started their careers together 00:05:01 - Maria’s book of poetry “I am Maria” is an exploration of self 00:08:42 - How Maria’s divorce cracked her open 00:10:02 - Maria describes her mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver 00:12:15 - Did Maria feel loved growing up? 00:12:50 - The JFK assassination 00:15:00 - Oprah reads Maria’s Poem “The Child Within” 00:17:02 - Maria made an effort to talk about feelings with her own children 00:19:02 - Maria’s poem describes her fears as a child 00:20:36 - Maria describes her father Sargent Shriver 00:23:05 - Maria reads her poem “I See You Now” 00:24:07 - Maria shares about falling in love with Arnold Schwarzenegger 00:24:55 - Maria’s mixed feelings about Arnold running for governor of California 00:28:27 - Maria loved being First Lady of California 00:30:43 - Arnold’s betrayal and Maria’s healing journey 00:33:00 - Oprah describes Maria’s support of Oprah even during Maria’s darkest times 00:35:03 - Maria reads “The Public Square” 00:36:57 - How Maria got to forgiveness 00:40:40 - Maria’s relationship with Arnold now 00:42:47 - What being a grandmother is like for Maria 00:43:33 - Maria’s reaction to son Patrick Schwarzenegger being cast on White Lotus 00:47:02 - Oprah shares Maria’s priority has been her role as mother 00:48:15 - The best lesson Maria’s mother gave her 00:49:40 - Maria’s words to her mother on her deathbed 00:50:36 - Maria reads her poem “Deep Inside” 00:54:05 - Did writing “I am Maria” bring her peace? 00:55:36 - What does it mean to Maria to have a well-lived life? 00:58:25 - Maria describes meeting poet Mary Oliver Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprah/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381