SCORNED

Shriver Asks for 'Compassion'

After Schwarzenegger’s love-child admission.

Maria Shriver has spoken out about the news that her estranged husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, fathered a child out of wedlock 15 years into their marriage. "This is a painful and heartbreaking time," she told People magazine. "I ask for compassion, respect, and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal." The news of Schwarzenegger's love child was revealed Monday night, a week after the couple issued a joint statement announcing their separation after 25 years of marriage. The mother of Schwarzenegger's other child, now 10 years old, was a member of their household staff. Shriver apparently learned in January that Schwarzenegger was the father and waited for her husband to come clean to the public before responding to the news herself.