Inside Maria Shriver's Relationship With Her Four Brothers
The Shrivers are a big family. A gorgeous family — they're of the Kennedy bloodline, after all. If you look at pictures of the Shriver siblings, the word that comes to mind is vitality. But they're not only good-looking and seemingly healthy, they're also close. Sibling drama can color many families, but in this unit, the children of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Robert Sargent Shriver are close. They've got mutual love, shared values, and respect for each other in spades.
Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California and former wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger made a name for herself as a broadcast journalist. The media maven now has her media imprint, produces films, and runs a podcast. As gorgeous and philanthropic as she is, so are her four brothers. They're all successful, handsome, and doing good for humanity.
Arranged by age, the Shriver siblings consist of Bobby, Maria, Timothy, Mark, and the youngest, Anthony Shriver. They maintain regular communication, spend sailing holidays together, and actively champion each other's respective causes. The bond between these famous five siblings is unbreakable. They wholeheartedly support and have each other's backs in all aspects of life. And if you're married into the Shriver family, count yourself lucky.
The Shriver siblings share a unique childhood
The Shriver siblings, Maria, Bobby, Timothy, Mark, and Anthony Shriver experienced a unique and enriching childhood shaped by their parents' commitment to public service. "On most days our house felt like a service conference — Peace Corps volunteers mingling with Special Olympics volunteers mingling with community organizers," Maria Shriver shared in an interview with Town and Country. Their parents, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver instilled a sense of duty to positively impact the world in them.
Growing up in a family where their father served as the U.S. Ambassador to France, the Shriver siblings had the opportunity to live in Paris from 1968 to 1970. The eldest sibling, Bobby Shriver, who was 14 at the time, remembers exploring the City of Lights on a scooter and learning to speak French. This experience broadened his and his siblings' perspectives and cultural understanding.
Inspired by their mother's pioneering work with the Special Olympics, the Shrivers' childhood friends were often individuals who lived with intellectual challenges. This early exposure to inclusivity and acceptance left a lasting impression on them. It's no wonder that the Shrivers are now deeply committed to advocating for the rights and well-being of people who live with disabilities. Their childhood, characterized by a blend of privilege, global exposure, and a strong sense of social responsibility, laid the foundation for the influential roles they would later assume in their respective fields.
Each of the Shriver children were raised to make a difference
Raised in a bustling and philanthropic household, the Shriver children were exposed to a world of compassion and social responsibility from an early age. "We were raised that you can make a difference and that you must make a difference in your life, whether it's volunteering in an existing program, or starting your own," Maria Shriver shared with CBS News. "My parents held meetings at our house every weekend, traveled nonstop, debated ideas at dinner. ... It showed me the importance of relentless effort, and it showed me that this work can be fun," Tim Shriver shared in the same interview. This environment of ambition and achievement propelled the Shriver kids to pursue their unique paths in media, activism, and public service, each contributing to society in impactful ways.
All five siblings are involved in charitable causes. Timothy Shriver is the chairman of the Special Olympics, the organization his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded. Anthony founded Best Buddies International, which helps people living with disabilities find employment and social opportunities. Mark Shriver is the Vice President of Save the Children and president of a school supporting minority children. Bobby Shriver is the co-founder of One Campaign, co-founding RED with Bono in 2006 to help stop fatalities from preventable and treatable diseases. Maria is a champion of women's causes and is the founder of the Women's Alzheimer's Movement.
The Shrivers grieved the loss of their beloved mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, together
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was a formidable woman. She was a member of the Kennedy family and founder of the Special Olympics, the Olympic Games for athletes with intellectual and multiple disabilities. In 2009, Eunice passed away peacefully at age 88 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts. After Eunice's death, the Shriver children came together to support each other emotionally and handle the practical aspects of their mother's passing.
Anthony, Timothy, and Maria Shriver were pallbearers at her funeral, carrying their mother's casket into the church in Hyannis Port. Timothy and Maria delivered heartfelt tributes to their mom, while Mark and Anthony Shriver stood close to them on stage. At Eunice's public wake the day before, the Shriver siblings smiled arm-in-arm and personally welcomed all who came to pay respects to their mom.
Eunice's children continue to celebrate her through their work. Tim honors his mother's legacy as Chairman of the Board of the Special Olympics. "My mother's death brought me to my knees. She was my hero, my role model, my very best friend," Maria shared at a Women's Conference a few months after her mother's passing (via the Los Angeles Times). "Can't describe how much I miss your love, support, guidance, and encouragement. Grateful to have had it for 44 years but have missed it every minute since 2009," Anthony shared on Instagram.
The Shrivers support each other's causes and projects
The Shriver siblings are tanned and healthy with good hair and knockout smiles. And as the nieces and nephews of John F. Kennedy, they have clout. When one of the Shriver siblings shows up to support another's project or cause, it counts. And when they give each other's good work a shout-out on socials, it's compounded power. But it's also what good-hearted brothers and sisters do.
In 2021, Maria Shriver published her younger brother Tim Shriver's book, "The Call to Unite," through her imprint Open Field. It holds stories of hope and healing from nuns, poets, and progressive voices, like Deepak Chopra and Elizabeth Gilbert. Maria promoted the book, too. "People want news that lifts them up," she shared in an interview with Extra TV. In 2023, Maria posted a picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, of her and Tim spending the day at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, where their younger brother Mark Shriver is president. The school provides a challenging academic program for economically disadvantaged students.
Mark has celebrated Tim's achievements with the Special Olympics on X and posted the premiere of Bobby's film on X, too. All the family members rode in Anthony's Best Buddies campaign and brought their friends along. Maria also attended the star-studded Best Buddies brunch in 2019, alongside stars like Cindy Crawford and Minnie Driver.
Maria Shriver is vocal about her love for her brothers on social media
We love that Maria Shriver shares her love for her brothers so openly. Wouldn't you if you had four loving, successful, and gorgeous brothers who made you proud every day? "I hit the jackpot in the brother department! Four for four. Thanks to these four amazing guys for being the best brothers on the planet," she posted on Facebook on National Brother's Day. "How lucky I am to have four amazing brothers that love me and support me," she posted on X on National Siblings Day, along with a throwback picture of the siblings.
And then there are birthdays. Sending dedicated birthday wishes on social media is a cherished tradition for some, offering a meaningful way to acknowledge and celebrate the special day of close friends and family. Maria doesn't miss a beat. Fortunately, her brothers appreciate her as much as she appreciates them. For Anthony Shriver's birthday, she shared on Facebook: "It's my baby brother's birthday ... He has made my life better, more fun, and more joyful! Love you, Anthony." "I have four great brothers but only one big brother," she posted on X for Bobby Shriver's birthday, along with a sweet photo of her and Bobby casually dining out at a restaurant.
The key to the Shrivers' sibling relationships is communication
"I talk to all of my brothers every week. Some of them, I talk to every day," Maria Shriver gushed to CBS. "They are my best friends. They're totally involved in my life. They're constantly encouraging me or giving me different ideas. A day doesn't go by where I don't talk to one of them. And a week doesn't go by where I don't talk to all of them." Good sibling relationships thrive on open communication — it's the key to understanding, supporting, and building trust. It's the secret sauce for sibling connection. You've got to talk to each other. A lot of siblings don't.
During the interview, Maria emphasized that her brothers are her closest companions because they formed such a unique bond by sharing the same upbringing that few others can truly understand. "My brothers are very protective of me. And I'm very protective, hyper-protective, of them," she added.
You can tell the ease Maria has with her brothers, just by looking at photos of them. It's also evident in the chat she has with Tim Shriver, the brother she calls "very wise and thoughtful." She hosted Tim for an hour on her podcast, "Meaningful Conversations." As they discuss Tim's work in schools, the education system, and how he has "a front-row seat to the best of humanity," it's clear they share a remarkable comfort and are relaxed in each other's company. There is mutual respect and curiosity about the way they each think and how they experience life.
The Shrivers spend Thanksgiving together
Thanksgiving, the highly anticipated family holiday, is an important one in the Shriver family. In an exclusive interview with People in 2019, Maria Shriver shared how Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday because it doesn't involve gifts. "It involves this shared sense of family, this larger sense of family ... It's just kind of deeper and quieter and people are talking and connecting."
What the former NBC news anchor likes most is being with her family and siblings on special holidays. "I have four brothers, so I always have to get at least one of my brothers to come," she says. Maria explained to People this holiday tradition is so important to her because she and her siblings used to return to their late home in Washington every Thanksgiving when their parents, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, were still alive. She added that getting together with her extended family makes her feel "grounded and protected."
The Shriver siblings have busy lives and families of their own, and each lives in a different part of the country. In 2021, Maria was thrilled when her eldest brother, Bobby Shriver, once again joined her for Thanksgiving. She marked the occasion with a photo on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It shows Bobby, Maria, and Bobby's beautiful wife, Malissa Shriver, in a glow of sunlight.
The Shrivers celebrate important milestones together
For some siblings, family get-togethers can be hard, dramatic, and even traumatic in some cases. But this is not the case with the Shrivers. Their upbringing in an open but respectable household ensured that respect and love thrived between the five of them. What's also brought them closer is the loss of both their parents, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, and becoming parents and grandparents themselves.
When there's something important happening in each other's lives — like weddings and funerals — it's a family affair, and they're there to celebrate together. Teddy Shriver, Anthony Shriver's son, got married in September 2023, and his smiling uncles, aunt, and cousins were all there to celebrate with him. Tim Shriver shared photos from his nephew's special day on Instagram.
Tim Shriver showed up to celebrate his sister Maria Shriver's 59th birthday. The siblings were captured by Daily Mail in a candid moment, engaged in lively conversation, laughing, and thoroughly enjoying each other's company as they made their way to a celebratory breakfast.
The Shrivers have a tradition of holidaying together on Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Since the 1920s, Hyannis Port in Cape Cod, Massachusetts has been a retreat and family gathering place for one of the most prominent political families in American history, the Kennedys. They own several grand beach houses situated alongside each other, known as the Kennedy Compound. (It's so exclusive, Taylor Swift is a neighbor.) With their mom being a Kennedy, the Shriver siblings inherited Eunice Shriver Kennedy's Hyannis Port home after her death. This is where the Shrivers stay when they head to the coast for the Fourth of July and other significant holidays.
In 2011, Maria Shriver headed to Cape Cod with her children and brothers Mark and Anthony Shriver for some R&R during her much-publicized divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger. In photos shared by Extra TV, Maria lets her hair down, playing the fool with her brothers, sailing and swimming.
For Maria, Cape Cod holds special significance, being more than just a vacation spot. It was a place intertwined with childhood memories and family traditions. "I have four brothers. Yup. No sisters, only brothers. Every year without fail, I go east to Cape Cod where we grew up so I can spend time with all of them at once," she shared in a LinkedIn post. "When large families get together I find they often tell crazy stories ... They rib one another. Laugh at one another." In Vanity Fair, Maria is pictured with her brothers on the Hyannis Port beach. They are tanned, smiling, and relaxed.
Maria Shriver shares heartfelt insights about her connection with her four brothers
In an exclusive interview with CBS, Maria Shriver shared personal insights on how she views her brothers and what she loves about them. Reflecting on their shared childhood, Maria portrayed her family as a formidable yet vibrant ensemble, characterized by toughness, teasing, and an aversion to vulnerability. Despite their shared traits of brightness, attractiveness, humor, drive, and athleticism, each brother possessed a unique essence, contributing to the colorful tapestry of their familial bond.
She described Bobby Shriver as "passionate and extremely smart," with a penchant for thinking beyond conventional boundaries. Tim Shriver, in Maria's eyes, is a "wise and thoughtful" individual, adept at bringing out the best in people. Maria highlighted his remarkable achievements with the Special Olympics, underscoring her profound respect for her brother's accomplishments.
Anthony Shriver, the youngest brother, was depicted as "having the humor of the youngest." Maria said she admires his relentless drive, exemplified by the establishment and day-to-day management of an organization he founded from scratch. And Mark Shriver, the idealistic sibling, stood out as a man committed to effecting positive change. Described as honest, good-hearted, and patient, Mark's passion for solving people's problems and his belief in the transformative power of public service were emphasized.
Maria and Bobby Shriver share a love of filmmaking
Robert Shriver, fondly known as Bobby, is the family cinephile. Not only does he run two nonprofits, but he also produced the 2023 Amazon Prime film "The Burial," a true-life courtroom drama starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones. Intrigued by the unlikely protagonists, Bobby shared with Amazon that he'd read a New York Times article about the story of a white man from Mississippi flying to Florida to hire a Black lawyer to represent him in a case against a funeral home, inspiring the film. He also produced "True Lies" with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1994 and two other films in the 1990s, including "Black Cat Run."
Maria Shriver produced two thought-provoking Netflix documentaries on psychiatric medication with her daughter Christina Schwarzenegger. "Take Your Pills," about Adderall, which is based on Christina Schwarzenegger's personal experience with the drug, and "Take Your Pills: Xanax." The films look at the proliferation of prescribed stimulants, cognition-enhancing drugs, and anti-anxiety medications in the U.S. since the 1980s and their little-publicized adverse side effects.
Maria had been in media for decades when the opportunity to work with her daughter aligned. "Part of my mission is to use media to inform, ignite, and inspire," she said in an interview with her publication, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper. "Christina's desire was to educate and entertain people ... I think [the film] hits the sweet spot of educating, entertaining, and being thought-provoking."