Los Angeles, Oct 04: Movie star and would-be California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife Maria Shriver has defended her husband against damaging allegations of sexual harassment. Shriver, a member of the Democratic Kennedy dynasty, came to the aid of her Republican husband of 17 years after he was accused of groping and humiliating women over his 30-year career as an actor and bodybuilder.
While refusing to be drawn on the allegations, which she said she was aware of but described as a "family matter", Shriver said her husband's apology on Thursday for "behaving badly" towards women was courageous.
"Nothing hurts because I know the man I'm married to," the television journalist told reporters at a Republican women's event in Los Angeles where she was campaigning for Schwarzenegger's bid to become Governor in Tuesday's polls.
"I think his statement speaks for itself and I am not going to go down this road, because I don't believe in gutter politics and I don't believe in gutter journalism.
"He's apologised and that's courageous," she said of Schwarzenegger's extraordinary confession on Thursday, after the Los Angeles Times quoted six women as saying he groped and humiliated them over his long career as a movie star and bodybuilder.
"Yes, it is true that I was on rowdy movie sets and I have done things that were not right, that I thought were playful but now I recognise that I have offended people," Schwarzenegger told a rally in San Diego.
"And those people that I have offended: I want to say I am deeply sorry about that and I apologise." Bureau Report