Tag Archive for: separation

Troy Aikman and wife announce separation

Sunday, Troy Aikman did an excellent job calling the Green Bay Packers victory in the Super Bowl on national television. He did such a great job calling one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, viewers may never have guessed that he and his wife had separated just weeks before the game.

On January 25, the NFL hall of fame quarterback confirmed that he and his wife have separated. This separation marks the end of a 10-year marriage between the former Dallas Cowboys star and his wife, Rhonda.

Aikman confirmed the separation in an interview with the Dallas Morning News, where he emphasized that it has been a very difficult decision and that he respectfully asks for privacy at this time. He also stated that he and his wife are still deeply committed to their children – they have two daughters together as well as another daughter from Rhonda’s previous marriage.

Aikman and Rhonda Worthey were married on April 8, 2000 in Plano, Texas. While the family had been residing in Highland Park, Texas, property records indicate that Rhonda purchased a five-bedroom estate in Preston Hollow in November, which may signify that the couple had been having problems for some time. In order to keep the details of their divorce confidential, Aikman or Rhonda may ask the court to seal the file or issue a confidentiality order.

During Aikman’s football career, he was considered by Texas Monthly to be “the most eligible bachelor” in the NFL since Joe Namath. He and Rhonda met while she was working as a Dallas Cowboys publicity employee and he was in his final season as an NFL quarterback. Aikman has said he does not necessarily enjoy the life of a bachelor and that he would “rather be married with four kids.”

Source: Yahoo Sports, “Aikman confirms split with wife of 10 years,” Chris Chase, 1/26/2011

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announce separation

Two weeks after their 25th wedding anniversary and four months after Arnold Schwarzenegger end his term as the Governator, Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that they are separating.

In their statement, they characterized their separation as amicable and did not mention whether they were filing for divorce. They noted that this was a time of personal and professional transition and arrived at the decision to separate together. Many commentators believe that the split between Schwarzenegger and Shriver represents a growing trend of long-term marriages ending in divorce in the baby boom generation.

Many baby boomers with adult children and children in their late teenage years are beginning to explore divorce as an option. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 66 percent of baby boomers reported being less than enthusiastic about staying in an unhappy marriage.

Shriver and Schwarzenegger have four children ages 14, 18, 20, and 21. They indicated that they plan to continue parenting their children together.

Important changes in a person’s life can contribute to stress on a marriage and it has indeed been a time of transition for Schwarzenegger and Shriver. Maria Shriver has had to deal with personal loss over the last year. Her mother died in August 2010 and her uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy died just weeks later. In January, her father died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Now that Schwarzenegger has left the Governor’s office after nearly eight years, he has returned to his acting career and has reportedly signed on to appear in another sequel to the “Terminator” move franchise.

Sources: CNN, “Baby boomer breakups and the search for a perfect union,” Amy Wilson, 5/11/2011

CNN, “Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver split,” Alan Duke, 5/10/2011

ABC, “Maria Shriver Bore Grief Over Family Deaths, Alleged Affairs,” 5/10/2011