Schwarzenegger, Shriver separating after 25 years of marriage

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver say they are separating after 25 years of marriage.

The split surprised some in the Capitol, who viewed the two with strengths – he with celebrity power, she with political savvy and the Kennedy aura — that served to complement each other.

Shriver apparently moved out of the couple’s Brentwood mansion several weeks ago. Schwarzenegger has been traveling internationally in recent weeks but was not accompanied by his wife. The couple has four children.

The split, first reported in the Los Angeles Times, was announced jointly following a series of questions that the Times had posed, the paper said.

“This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us,” the statement read. “After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together. At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship.”

Schwarzenegger, a Republican and a protege of former Gov. Pete Wilson, was elected in 2003 in a special election that removed former Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, from office.

Schwarzenegger’s election drew international attention and intense media coverage – positive at the beginning — that withered over the years as his administration floundered and the state slipped into the recession. At the end, his job approval rating was on a par with that of Davis.