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Who is Katherine Schwarzenegger? All about Chris Pratt’s wife and how she's related to John F Kennedy and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Earlier this year, Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger were officially married in an “intimate, moving and emotional” ceremony. The pair appear to have settled into the next chapter of their lives together, goofing off in Instagram videos and sharing a look into their new home. On Tuesday, Schwarzenegger opened up about their life together and explained how Pratt had helped change her life for the better.

In an interview with The Talk, she explained how she handles stress with the help of her husband. She said, “I think it’s all about finding different things in your life to help with that stress because I think with the amount of things that we all have going on, we’re always glued to our phone...Being around people who are just very - my husband is very calming to me. So I’m just like, ‘It’s going to be OK.’”

She continued, “It’s about all the daily things you can do — exercise, meditation is a huge thing now, being around people who love and support you and bring out the best in you, to lower that stress level is so important.”

(AFF-USA/Shutterstock)
(AFF-USA/Shutterstock)

Schwarzenegger also told Extra that she was “lucky enough to be married to an incredible man, [and] just be happy...I feel really blessed.”

The pair made their first high profile appearance together in April at the premiere of Avengers: Endgame, where they posed for cameras on the Thanos purple carpet. Dressed in a one shoulder animal-print gown, the couple were seen laughing as they made their way into the venue.

Since you're likely to see a lot more of Katherine Schwarzenegger in the coming years, we’ve put together a little primer on everything you need to know about the author and lifestyle blogger. From her Hollywood and presidential family ties through to how her surprise romance with Chris Pratt began, here's everything to know about the woman who won Pratt's heart.

What does Katherine Schwarzengger do?

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Author Katherine Schwarzenegger with her book Maverick & Me at The Grove on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lily Lawrence/Getty Images for Caruso) (Getty / Lily Lawrence / Stringer)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Author Katherine Schwarzenegger with her book Maverick & Me at The Grove on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lily Lawrence/Getty Images for Caruso) (Getty / Lily Lawrence / Stringer)

Katherine Schwarzenegger has chosen not to pursue the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but instead has chosen a more literary route like her mother Maria Shriver. After graduating in 2012 with a degree in communications and journalism, she opted not to follow her mum’s path to the tee and strayed away from media. Instead, she found success as a self-help author with books including I Just Graduated...Now What and Rock What You’ve Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who’s Been There and Back.

More recently, she also added children’s book author to her CV with Maverick and Me - an educational book about the benefits of adopting rescue animals. The dog in the book is actually based on her own pooch - Maverick Schwarzenegger.

Katherine is also an active lifestyle blogger, who writes about everything from food to beauty on her site KatherineSchwarzenegger.com. She has been open on issues like female body image and is an ambassador for the ASPCA.

How is Katherine Schwarzenegger related to JFK?

Katherine’s mother Maria Shriver was the niece of President John F. Kennedy, as Maria was the daughter of JFK's sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver. That makes Katherine his great niece. She’s part of the young Kennedy family alongside her relatives Rose and Jack Schlossberg.

How did Katherine Schwarzenegger meet Chris Pratt?

Usually when your mother tells you that she’s found a nice boy, you roll your eyes. In the case of Katherine Schwarzenegger, it appeared to work out. A source claimed to People that her mother Maria Shriver had a hand in Katherine's romance with Chris Pratt.

The source said last June, “Maria helped set them up. It’s still new.”

The couple were photographed on a number of dates last summer, with E! News claiming they had been seen going to church together and Chris Pratt’s brother revealing on Instagram she had joined the family on a big family trip to Round Pond Estate.

However, they didn’t officially go public with their relationship until last December. Chris Pratt took to Instagram to celebrate Katherine’s birthday, posting a collage of moments between the pair with the message, “Happy Birthday Chief! Your smile lights up the room. I’ve cherished our time together. Thrilled God put you in my life. Thankful for the laughs, kisses, talks, hikes, love and care.”

They were married on June 8 in an intimate ceremony and called it the "best day of our lives".

How old is Katherine Schwarzenegger?

Katherine Schwarzenegger was born on December 13, 1989. She is 29 years old (a decade younger than Chris Pratt, who is 39) and is the oldest of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver’s children.

Is Katherine Schwarzenegger related to Arnold Schwarzenegger?

(Getty Images / Amanda Edwards / Stringer)
(Getty Images / Amanda Edwards / Stringer)

Yes, Katherine is related to the Terminator himself. She is his first daughter and has four siblings: a sister called Christina, actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, Christopher Schwarzenegger and finally a half-brother called Joseph Baena.

It seems like Katherine and Arnie are very close, with his eldest daughter regularly sharing pictures of herself with her father.

In a Father's Day post she wrote, “Happy Father’s Day Daddy @schwarzenegger! I love you so much and can’t wait to celebrate you.”

Who is Katherine Schwarzenegger’s mother?

(Getty / Alberto E. Rodriguez / Staff)
(Getty / Alberto E. Rodriguez / Staff)

Katherine’s mother is the acclaimed journalist Maria Shriver, who is currently a special anchor with NBC news. Like her daughter, Maria has also written a number of self-help books and is a prominent activist working to help fund research into Alzheimer’s.

She also has a pretty interesting family tree, as she's the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver - the sister of late president John F. Kennedy as well as Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.

She married Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1986, after which they had four children together. Once Arnold Schwarzenegger took office as the Governor of California between 2003-2011, Shriver started doing more public campaign work.

On May 9, 2011, Maria Shriver filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences”.

(Getty / Emma McIntyre / Staff)
(Getty / Emma McIntyre / Staff)

Days later, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed publicly that he had had an affair during his marriage to her which had resulted in a child: Katherine’s half sibling Joseph Baena. According to the Daily Mail however, the pair have yet to finalize their divorce as of last July.

Despite Maria and Arnold’s separation, Katherine appears to still be close to both of her parents. Maria features on her Instagram a lot, where she shares highlight reels of the two doing everything from hiking to dancing at a Beyonce concert.

“You are the greatest person I know" she wrote under one Instagram post, "we are all blessed to have you in our lives! You are perfect, kind, loving, best mama, welcoming, smart, stunning, sassy, fun, hilarious, and so much more!”

Katherine Schwarzenegger’s engagement ring

Chris Pratt announced his engagement to Katherine Schwarzenegger on Instagram and it was impossible to miss Katherine’s huge ring on her finger. They revealed their engagement this January in twin posts on social media. The pair were shown embracing one another, with Katherine flashing a large diamond engagement ring.

Although there hasn’t been any confirmation on who designed it, a diamond expert named Andrew Brown had some informed speculation for E! News. The president of WP Diamonds told them, “The beautiful engagement ring Chris Pratt just used to propose to Katherine Schwarzenegger looks like a 5-carat cushion set in a Harry Winston-style micro pavé halo.”

As for how much it cost? Andrew continued, “Assuming it is a high color-clarity combination, it would probably retail for $150-175k."

At that time of their engagement, the Avengers actor and Schwarzenegger had reportedly been dating for less than a year, marking their first public appearance together last June on a picnic. Pratt finalised his divorce from actor Anna Faris in October 2018 after eight years of marriage, with whom he has a son named Jack.

Faris also congratulated the couple in an Instagram comment writing, "I'm so happy for you both!!! I love you guys!!"

Chris Pratt wrote, “Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes! I’m thrilled to be marrying you. Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go!”

He also added in a Facebook post, "Ideally we’d have kept this secret for as long as possible. But considering there’s paparazzi camped out in the alley behind our house and they document everything whether we like it or not, we’ll take the lead here and release this statement."

Katherine also posted the same picture and added, “Wouldn’t want to live this life with anyone but you.”

Apparently, Chris Pratt also took the traditional route and asked Katherine's parents Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver for their blessing before proposing. (Possibly quite terrifying, given how bad ass both of them are.)

A source told People, "[Chris] asked for Maria and Arnold ’s blessing and was very traditional about things. Chris has been very straightforward about his intentions from the beginning. Over the last few months, he’s been bonding with all of Katherine’s siblings and it was clear to her entire family they would get married."

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger's wedding

Pratt and Schwarzenegger were married on June 8 at the San Ysidro Ranch in California. Dressed in custom Giorgio Armani wedding outfits, the pair both took to Instagram to share a beautiful outtake from their wedding.

The pair shared the same picture to their social media accounts, accompanied by a nearly identical caption which called the day “the best day of our lives”. It continued, “We became husband and wife in front of God, our families and those we love. It was intimate, moving and emotional. We feel so blessed to begin this new chapter of our lives.”

Guests are believed to include Schwarzengger’s gigantic Kennedy-adjacent family and Pratt’s son with his ex-wife Anna Faris. Some of Pratt’s former coworkers also attended such as Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn and his Parks and Rec co-star Rob Lowe, who he reportedly played golf with hours prior to tying the knot with Schwarzenegger.

A source told People, "The whole family took wedding photos, including [Schwarzenegger's] parents Maria [Shriver] and Arnold [Schwarzenegger]."

A source told People that it was a “very romantic setting for a wedding”. The pair both thanked Giorgio Armani for their outfits, with Schwarzenegger calling her white gown with a dramatic train a “once in a lifetime dress” and Pratt naming his outfit “the perfect suit”.