Arnold Schwarzenegger Details Maria Shriver Relationship, Behaving Badly Around Women in the Past

The former California Governor's first television series -- Netflix's upcoming "FUBAR" -- sees him divorced due to cheating on his wife, which in some ways mirrors his real-life marriage with Maria Shriver.

In a new wide-ranging interview with THR, the 75-year-old was not spared being asked some very tough questions about his complicated history -- with which the former Mr. Olympia appeared to take ownership of in broad strokes.

The publication asked him if his failed onscreen marriage was "deliberately autobiographical" to which Arnold replied: "We were laughing about it — it feels like it's a documentary."

"The difference is, in the show, he doesn't consider it cheating because [seducing CIA assets] was part of his profession," he went on to explain.

"His wife moved on because he never was home, and now he has this dilemma with the daughter because she has the same job and it's going to screw up her relationship, too. But in [my real-life marriage to Shriver], it was my f--kup. It was my failure. Also, in the show, he's deep down still in love with his wife."

When asked if he missed being married he answered with an emphatic "no."

"[The divorce] was very, very difficult in the beginning," the action hero recalled. "Eventually, you move on. I have a wonderful girlfriend, [physical therapist] Heather Milligan, who is very successful. I'm really proud of her, and I love her. At the same time, I love my wife."

"She and I are really good friends and very close, and we are very proud of the way we raised our kids," he said of Shriver. "Even though we had this drama, we did Easter together, Mother’s Day together, the Christmases together, all birthdays — everything together. If there’s Oscars for how to handle divorce, Maria and I should get it for having the least amount of impact on the kids. The sweetness and kindness you see in them, that’s from my wife. The discipline and work ethic is from me."

Schwarzenegger and Shriver ended their marriage in 2011, just days before it was publicly revealed he had father a child (Joseph Baena) with a former household employee, Mildred Patricia Baena. He shares four children with Shriver.

Meanwhile, in the same interview that comes ahead of another Netflix project, a three-part documentary titled "Arnold," Schwarzenegger was asked about groping accusations stemming back to 2003 during his gubernatorial run. In 2018, the actor and politician had admitted to stepping "over the line several times" in the past; back in 2003 he had denied the allegations.

THR in their interview asked him "how are you a person who cares so much about helping people yet has also cared so little for people’s feelings in specific situations?"

"I think it’s very easy to understand," Arnold began. "We are not perfect. We try to be, but there’s only one that's perfect — God. My mouth is great, but it gets me into trouble. My brain is great — it has the will to make a better world — but sometimes I f--k up. I make mistakes. I behaved badly. All of those things I’ve addressed in the past. I feel bad about it. But I cannot roll the clock back. I have to be careful and be wiser. I’m smarter. I’m more sensitive about other people’s feelings."

When asked if anyone on past film sets had ever confronted him about that previous behavior, Schwarzenegger said, "No one said anything."

"Look, the bottom line is that even though the times were different, it doesn't matter if it was 100 years ago or today. You have to treat women with respect and you have to treat people with respect," he explained. "None of it is an excuse. I should have behaved better."

When asked when and how he changed, Arnold said, "I just think as time goes on, you just become wiser. You start thinking more about other people and not just about yourself. Not just what’s fun for you, not just what makes you look ballsy."

"Also — and this is hard to explain to someone who has never had this experience — but once you’ve been in the governor’s office for seven years, you see all the problems out there and all the hardships. It turns you from a 'me' person to a 'we' person," he continued. "You become much more aware of what’s going on around you. And then all of a sudden when you walk away, you say, 'I’ve got to continue with the policy stuff. We’ve got to fight for the environment. We’ve got to fight for redistricting reform.' And to speak out about the war."

The "Arnold" documentary hits Netflix June 7. "FUBAR," meanwhile, premieres May 25.