Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a surprising crack about ex Maria Shriver

Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a shoutout to ex-wife Maria Shriver when he cracked a joke at Amazon’s Upfront presentation in New York City on Monday.

The actor, 77, who typically plays some kind of strongman, is softening his image in the upcoming holiday film The Man With The Bag, which he spent part of the winter filming in the Big Apple.

The Terminator veteran will star as none other than Santa Claus in the comedy co-starring Awkwafina and Alan Ritchson. 

In the plot, Kris Kringle loses his magic bag and has to turn to Vance,  a guy on the Naughty List (Ritchson) to help get it back. 

While speaking about the project the holiday veteran made reference to another one of his hit films and appeared to take a playful jab at Shriver, 69. 

‘Jingle All The Way was the greatest Christmas movie of all time,’ the Emmy winner declared unabashedly. 

‘They play it the whole month of December,’ he said, adding , ‘I know because my ex-wife calls me about the residual.’

Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a shoutout to ex-wife Maria Shriver and had a jolly little laugh when he cracked a joke at Amazon’s Upfront presentation of coming movie’s and films in New York City on Monday

It was the first time he had made a comment about the former NBC journalist in about two years. 

The couple, who had what appeared to be a Hollywood fairytale romance were married for 25 years before their relationship crumbled under the news of Schwarzenegger’s unfaithfulness. 

Shriver filed to divorce in 2011 after The Expendables actor admitted to fathering a child, Joseph Baena, 27, with the family housekeeper.

The former couple, who finalized their split in 2021, share four children, Katherine, 35, Christina, 33, Patrick, 31, and Christopher, 37. 

In her memoir, I Am Maria, which was released in April, Shriver wrote about her pain at the breakdown of her marriage. 

‘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.’

The result of those feelings, was her first work of poetry.

‘Jingle All The Way was the greatest Christmas movie of all time. They play it the whole month of December, I know because my ex-wife calls me about the residual,’ he joked

Schwarzenegger was promoting his upcoming holiday film The Man With The Bag, in which he plays Santa ;  Pictured in New York City in February

‘I started writing from a deep place within,’ she explained.

‘Through my poetry, I’ve found a woman who was terrified of not being able to live up to her family’s legacy—scared of not being big enough, a good-enough daughter, sister, wife, mother, journalist.’

For his part, Schwarzenegger has accepted the new parameters of their relationship as co-parents and grandparents. 

‘My chapter with Maria will continue on forever. Even though it’s a different relationship, there’s no reason for me to feel anything but love for her,’ he told People in 2023.

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk