Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals He Tried to Save Marriage with Counseling: ‘Biggest Mistake I’ve Ever Made’

Arnold Schwarzenegger opened up to Howard Stern on SiriusXM Wednesday about the collapse of his marriage to Maria Shriver. “This was without any doubt the biggest setback and the biggest failure,” the former governor said of the split.

The “Terminator Genisys” star continued, “Not only failure, but you really feel like, 'I am to blame for it. It was me that screwed up.' You can't point the finger at anyone else.”

Schwarzenegger also revealed that he and wife Maria tried counseling to save their marriage, but admitted to the shock jock, “It was the biggest mistake I've ever made because that guy was so full of s**t.”

The 67-year-old action star said Shriver talked him into counseling, but he was met with “nonsense talk” that was “counterproductive to our future relationship."

“I went and I felt instinctively maybe I shouldn't go because I know I screwed up. I don't have to go to anyone to have him explain to me anything. I apologized to Maria. I apologized to the kids and then tried to move forward.”

Schwarzenegger did add, “I think people should get help when they need help,” he said. “… I'm not against that, but in my particular case it was not helpful.”

Arnold said his family is now in a much better place. Arnold has four children with Maria: Katherine Schwarzenegger, 25, Christina Schwarzenegger, 23, Patrick Schwarzenegger, 21, Christopher Schwarzenegger, 17. He is also dad to son Joseph Baena, 17.

Schwarzenegger shared with Stern an example. While promoting his latest movie overseas, the actor returned to his hotel room to find that Maria and his kids had sent balloons and presents. "It made me feel really so good. Each one sent a card. Each one sent a little gift.”

He continued, “That's the relationship I was really looking forward to that we have after this complicated bump and after this screw-up.”

Stern said he was moved “almost to tears” by Schwarzenegger's success in repairing his relationship with his family.

"The only way it happens is if all of you work together,” explained Schwarzenegger. “So my wife was helpful, the kids were helpful, people around us were helpful, and so I tried to be as helpful as I can with the whole thing.”