Latest news with #MariaShriver
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Patrick Schwarzenegger's Next Big Flex
Jet-lagged and hungry, Patrick Schwarzenegger eyes a craft services table stacked with pastries and sandwiches before turning his attention to the Sugarfish sushi delivery on the table in front of him. The 31-year-old actor and entrepreneur has barely had time to catch his breath in the past two months, having traveled to 15 countries to promote his cult HBO series, The White Lotus. 'I always carry bars on me,' he says, reaching into his pocket to pull out two Mosh protein bars, the brand he cofounded in 2021. 'Especially on filming days when you don't know what the snacks are. I always bring my own.' Cody Pickens for Forbes Much like his protein shake–obsessed White Lotus character, Saxon Ratliff, Schwarzenegger watches what he eats. The similarities continue: He also graduated from an elite university with a business degree, comes from a powerful family and is no stranger to wealth. But while Saxon had yet to move beyond the luxe life he inherited from his parents, Schwarzenegger is finally making a name for himself—in business and onscreen. The son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, he grew up in a world of the Hollywood and political elite as the child of an actor-turned-billionaire California governor and a broadcast journalist who happens to be a Kennedy. He fell in love with acting early, often visiting his father's movie sets as a boy. 'There were times where I was, like, 'Oh, God, these are big shoes to fill. Should I change my last name and have a stage name?' Those things crossed my mind,' Schwarzenegger admits. 'But ultimately, I'm very proud of my dad and the life that he's given me, and the last name he's built and the brand he's built.' It was his father's penchant for business that Schwarzenegger adopted first. His mother remembers him as a preteen glued to the TV when Shark Tank came on and asking for a few hundred bucks for his birthday to start an E-Trade account and buy Apple stock. In 2008, Schwarzenegger—then 15 years old—interned for film producer John Davis, a large investor in Wetzel's Pretzels, who had just sold his stake (with an investor group) for around $36 million, or 13 times his initial investment. That caught the high schooler's attention, especially when he learned that Elise and Rick Wetzel were founding a new fast-casual pizza venture. Schwarzenegger's parents loaned him around $50,000 to invest in Blaze Pizza, joining investors including LeBron James. Six years later, in 2014, Schwarzenegger opened the first of his two Blaze franchises in his native Los Angeles. Superfinery: Schwarzenegger wore custom Balmain to this year's Met Gala. Dia Disasupil/Getty 'What I got to see were consumers looking for healthier alternatives, vegan topping options, the healthier crust,' he says. 'So I was like, 'I'm going to continue to invest in [other] companies that are doing this.' ' In 2015, nearly eight years after his initial investment, Schwarzenegger (then a senior in college) sold his shares of Blaze for at least $2 million, Forbes estimates. He then paid his parents back for the initial loan and invested in other better-for-you brands, including the hydration powder brand Liquid IV and two prebiotic sodas, Olipop and Poppi, the latter of which sold for $2 billion earlier this year. As his portfolio grew, so did his acting credits. While attending USC, Schwarzenegger started taking acting classes—a weekly commitment he made for the next decade. He landed a few small TV and film roles in those early years, including Grown Ups 2 and the TV series Scream Queens, but nothing felt quite like a big break. When the pandemic brought the film industry to a standstill in 2020, he moved in with his mother, and the two launched Mosh—a protein bar company designed to promote brain health. (Shriver is a longtime advocate for Alzheimer's research after witnessing the disease's effects on her late father, Sargent Shriver, who helped found the Peace Corps, Head Start and other Kennedy-era programs.) Mosh contains ingredients such as citicoline, lion's mane mushrooms and omega-3s, which advocates believe improve cognition. '[My mother] is way more of the visionary, and I'm the one that's making her dream come true,' Schwarzenegger says. 'And playing devil's advocate on the business side.' The duo has personally invested nearly $1 million so far growing Mosh. 'It wasn't like some celebrity-backed brand where we raised money or hired an agency,' he says. 'We made the bars with a doctor and formulator; we did everything. But then it was also Covid, when the supply chain was terrible—everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.' Otherwise, their timing was perfect. The burgeoning protein bar industry, which had combined revenue of around $5 billion in 2024, experienced a major resurgence after 2020 when consumers became less limited by Covid policies. Mosh had $4 million in sales in 2022, its first full year. 'He was very deliberate about how we built the company,' Shriver says. 'I wanted to [put the bars in] Target the first year and he said, 'No, we have to build; we have to get to know our consumer.' He's not totally calm in the rest of his life, but in business, he's really calm and knowledgeable.' In 2023, Mosh raised $3 million to support retail expansion in a Series A round led by Arnold Schwarzenegger's longtime financial advisor's investment firm and earned $7 million in revenue. By 2024, Mosh was being sold in Erewhon and Sprouts and ended the year with $12 million in sales. It has yet to turn a profit. Schwarzenegger hadn't abandoned his acting career, but there was a moment early in Mosh's launch when he considered walking away from Hollywood 'if acting didn't take off.' That was, until he booked a role in an HBO Max miniseries starring Colin Firth. He later played a main character in a spin-off of Amazon Prime's show The Boys in 2023 before landing The White Lotus. He left to film Mike White's hit series in Thailand in early 2024, but pulling double duty took a toll on him. 'It was near impossible to try to work on Mosh while filming in Thailand,' Schwarzenegger recalls. 'There were nights that I would have to wake up at 2 or 3 a.m. and have meetings with Sprouts or Kroger on Zoom.' For now, he doesn't plan to leave the company, even though he has already reached his modest first milestone—to grow the business past $10 million in revenue. 'That was my goal, to be the one running the ship to get it there,' he says. 'It's a very different type of business to build from zero to $10 million [versus] $10 million to $100 million. And you need someone that's in the streets every day, all day, to grow it to that next level.' This year, Mosh is on track to book more than $20 million in revenue and is raising money again this summer with the hope of accelerating growth in retail and becoming profitable, says Jeff Gamsey, Mosh's president and COO. Schwarzenegger and Shriver are now looking to expand the brand into Costco and Walmart. In the meantime, life is only getting busier. But for Schwarzenegger, busier is almost always better. 'A few years ago, I had a studio executive tell me that I needed to stop the business stuff, that it was too much having one foot in one area and one foot in another,' he says. 'But I think there's a lot of symmetry between film and business, and understanding that as my brand grows, hopefully [my acting career] grows. At the end of the day, as an actor, you are a business—you are a brand.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Maria Shriver reveals how getting fired from CBS was the 'wake-up call' she desperately needed
Maria Shriver has reflected on the impact of her shock firing after her entire show was axed. She was anchoring CBS Morning News - pouring in early-morning energy, and, as she candidly admits, more emotion than she should have been giving to a job. On the latest episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show, Shriver explained that she had convinced herself the program was her 'family,' a word she now laughs at because the feeling was seemingly not mutual. When CBS pulled the plug, she felt blindsided and instantly untethered. 'It helped me realize, oh wait a minute, this is not my family. 'This place can throw me out in a second,' she told host Jamie Kern Lima. That sting, she says, was the moment her real education began. Shriver had grown up in a mission-driven Kennedy household where love sounded like 'good job - now what's next?' and nobody paused to discuss feelings. In fact, she admitted that growing up, she and her family never said 'I love you' to each other. So, as an adult, she translated approval into achievement and naturally treated the newsroom like Thanksgiving dinner. Losing the job forced her to redraw the boundary between who she is and what she does for a living. 'Had I not been fired, I probably wouldn't have had that wake-up call,' she admitted. In practical terms, the lesson was simple: a boss can like your work, but a job can't love you back. Emotionally, it was bigger. She realized she had to build the family atmosphere she craved at home, not at the anchor desk. That's why her four grown kids now hear 'I love you' on repeat - a conscious reversal of the stoic upbringing she once knew. They tease her for being strict and beg her to slow down, but they never question her affection. Looking back, she's grateful the cancellation came early, before her identity totally revolved around a corporate brand. It taught her to keep work in perspective, to measure self-worth in something sturdier than ratings. It also set the stage for future pivots - from NBC correspondent to California's First Lady to Alzheimer's advocate - none of which, she notes, define her entire being. Today, she coaches younger journalists to invest passion in their craft but loyalty in the people who'll still be there after the credits roll. 'So I need to think about my family, my real family,' she said. 'I think I need to think about my real life and put this part of my life in perspective.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Maria Shriver calls NBC's Sheinelle Jones ‘a courteous caregiver' after death of her husband Uche Ojeh
Maria Shriver is praising her friend Sheinelle Jones. The author, 69, took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message following the death of the NBC correspondent's husband Uche Ojeh. 'This morning, you likely heard the heartbreaking news for my friend @sheinelle_o and her family,' Shriver began. 'The love of her life, her partner, the father of her kids, Uche Ojeh, lost his battle with brain cancer.' Explaining how the 47-year-old stood by her husband's side until the end, the journalist wrote, 'Sheinelle was a courteous caregiver, there around the clock, caring, loving, showing up 24/7 for him and for their kids.' 'She got him the best medical care. She did everything right, and still, here we are. My heart breaks for her and everyone who has walked this path. May we hold her in our hearts and our prayers. May we give her and her family the strength and the privacy they need to begin a new journey without the love of their lives.' Jones and Ojeh tied the knot in 2007 and share three kids: 14-year-old Kayin and 12-year-old twins Clara and Uche. Shriver went on to share that through it all, she admires the mom of three. 'I admire how she stepped up,' continued Shriver. 'Every time I spoke with her, she kept saying how she was trying and how critical it was for her to be there for every second for every moment. What a love. What a powerful thing to care for someone when they need it most. God bless you, my friend, and god bless all of you who know what she is going through, because you have walked the same journey.' Along with the touching sentiments, the former First Lady of California shared a photo of herself with Jones, a second snap alongside Jones, Craig Melvin, and Al Roker and a sweet family shot of Jones, Ojeh and their kids. Savannah Guthrie announced the heartbreaking news of Ojeh's death on the 'Today' show on Friday. 'With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our friend and Today co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma,' the journalist, 53, said through tears. 'There are no words for the pain we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person,' she continued. 'We all loved him. And so we want to take a moment to tell you more about the remarkable man who was Sheinelle's perfect partner in life.' Following news of the triathlete's death, multiple sources told The Post Ojeh was in hospice before he passed and put up a 'brave fight.' Fans speculated something was awry after Jones revealed in January that she would be stepping back from the third hour of 'Today' for an extended time due to a family matter. 'I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I've been absent from the show. I want to share with you that I'm taking time to deal with a family health matter,' she wrote on Instagram at the time. As Jones put it, 'It's not lost on me how lucky I am to have not only the support of my 'Today' show family, but to also have all of you.' The reporter added, 'Your kindness means so much to me. I'll see you soon.' Shortly after, an insider shared with People that the situation was 'serious.' 'Sheinelle appreciates the support she's received from fans and viewers in her absence,' the source noted. 'She's especially grateful for her tight-knit 'Today' show family and co-hosts, for all their love during a sensitive time.' Jones and Ojeh first met in the late '90s during college at Northwestern University, with the anchor detailing the coy way she found out who the hunk on campus was back in the day. 'I was a fake tour guide … I was just walking to class,' Jones said during an interview with Northwestern's campus magazine in 2024. '[I was like, 'Are you guys lost?' And] I told him I would take him around because he was cute.' The pair dated for eight years, before Ojeh popped the question at their alma mater. He proposed during a rainstorm – which left Jones surprised to say the least. 'I thought I knew when it was coming, twice, and it didn't happen,' she confessed during a 2018 'Today' show segment. Prior to the real engagement, Ojeh once surprised Jones with Tiffany's jewelry – which she assumed was that ring. The second time, the on-air personality thought it was happening while on a trip to Cancun, Mexico. In September 2023, Jones gushed over her partner in honor of their anniversary. 'Happy Anniversary Uche – it's amazing how life works sometimes … ' she penned. 'I was born in Philly … moved away as a baby … visited my father every summer after my parents separated … but I never imagined I'd end up having some of the best years of my life and career there, getting married in Philly, and ultimately having 3 kids at the same hospital where I was born. We've created beautiful memories…. here's to a lifetime more. 16 years!'
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Is this the moment the Pope got starstruck by Oprah? Fans convinced new Supreme Pontiff lit up when he spotted her in crowd
Oprah Winfrey sounded overjoyed to have a brief personal connection to Pope Leo XIV when she spotted him driving by in his popemobile. On Wednesday, the 71-year-old daytime television icon shared a video of the newly elected pope driving through an adoring crowd after having delivered his inaugural mass. As Pope Leo's vehicle crept past where she and her BFF Gayle King were standing, Oprah — who has dropped more than 40 pounds over the past year-and-a-half — shouted out, ' Chicago!' The city was both her longtime home and where she taped The Oprah Winfrey Show for decades, and it is also the birthplace of the latest pope, who was born Robert Francis Prevost in 1955. Oprah's clip quickly went viral, with fans left convinced that Pope Leo XIV was totally starstruck when he saw the TV icon in the crowd of people. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. On Wednesday, the 71-year-old TV icon shared a video of herself, Gayle King and Maria Shriver cheering on the new pope after his inaugural mass. Oprah even appeared to get his attention 'He knew it was you! So cool! Wow! He knows you're a great human,' one fan wrote. Another added: 'He pointed at you [Oprah]. That is so cool. The Pope knows Oprah' Many of Oprah's fans marveled at the 'special moment' and how they found the pope's reaction 'sweet.' They loved the way he appeared to 'point' at Oprah after 'recognizing her voice.' 'The point! He's gotta be a tiny bit amazed to see her in the crowd,' penned one Instagram user, who earned nearly 600 'likes' on the comment. Whether Pope Leo heard Oprah shouting out his old stomping grounds, or whether he just noticed her and Gayle in the crowd, she successfully managed to get his attention. Just as the pope was driving past their vantage point, he appeared to glance back with what looked like an expression of recognition. Pope Leo's grin grew even wider, and he went from waving at the adoring crowd members to pointing his finger toward Oprah's direction. 'He pointed at you!' Oprah could be heard saying to her companions just before the clip ended, suggesting that he may have been singling out Fr. Manuel Dorantes. 'This past Sunday, @oprah and @gayleking attended the inaugural mass for @pontifex — and they captured the moment he drove by them in the Popemobile!' the video's caption read on Instagram. 'It'll be a moment they'll never forget, especially for Chicago's own Lady O.' In a post for Oprah Daily, the entertainment industry mogul revealed that she and Gayle were also joined by their friend Maria Shriver at the Vatican to see Leo's first mass as pope. She revealed that it was Fr. Manuel who had invited the women to the celebration. 'It gave me hope to hear him speak, so simply and from the heart, of unity in a world so divided,' Oprah wrote of the Pope Leo's homily. 'The Pope's message wasn't cloaked in dogma or political calculation. It was an invitation,' she continued. 'An invitation to imagine what could happen if we centered our lives not around fear or control, but around love, service, and radical compassion.' Oprah's playful appearance at the the first mass for Pope Leo comes after another hilarious video in which she and Gayle partied before heading to one of the Los Angeles dates of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour late last month. 'Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up!' Oprah shouted in a video of the women, before Gayle quoted lyrics from Beyoncé's Texas Hold 'Em, interjecting with 'Don't be a b****, come take it to the floor now.' The concert ended up creating some blowback among fans for Gayle, though, as some complained that she was ' flaunting her wealth ' as she and Oprah partied before the concert. The controversy followed after her ticket on Blue Origin's all-female voyage into space cost a whopping $150,000.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Oprah Winfrey has hilarious fangirl moment over special connection to Pope Leo as she attends inaugural mass
Oprah Winfrey sounded overjoyed to have a brief personal connection to Pope Leo XIV when she spotted him driving by in his popemobile. On Wednesday, the 71-year-old daytime television icon shared a video of the newly elected pope driving through an adoring crowd after having delivered his inaugural mass. As Pope Leo's vehicle crept past where she and her BFF Gayle King were standing, Oprah — who has dropped more than 40 pounds over the past year-and-a-half — shouted out, ' Chicago!' The city was both her longtime home and where she taped The Oprah Winfrey Show for decades, and it is also the birthplace of the latest pope, who was born Robert Francis Prevost in 1955. Whether Pope Leo heard Oprah shouting out his old stomping grounds, or whether he just noticed her and Gayle in the crowd, she successfully managed to get his attention. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. On Wednesday, the 71-year-old TV icon shared a video of herself, Gayle King and Maria Shriver cheering on the new pope after his inaugural mass. Oprah even appeared to get his attention Just as the pope was driving past their vantage point, he appeared to glance back with what looked like an expression of recognition. Pope Leo's grin grew even wider, and he went from waving at the adoring crowd members to pointing his finger toward Oprah's direction. 'He pointed at you!' Oprah could be heard saying to her companions just before the clip ended, suggesting that he may have been singling out Fr. Manuel Dorantes. 'This past Sunday, @oprah and @gayleking attended the inaugural mass for @pontifex — and they captured the moment he drove by them in the Popemobile!' the video's caption read on Instagram. 'It'll be a moment they'll never forget, especially for Chicago's own Lady O.' In a post for Oprah Daily, the entertainment industry mogul revealed that she and Gayle were also joined by their friend Maria Shriver at the Vatican to see Leo's first mass as pope. She revealed that it was Fr. Manuel who had invited the women to the celebration. 'It gave me hope to hear him speak, so simply and from the heart, of unity in a world so divided,' Oprah wrote of the Pope Leo's homily. 'The Pope's message wasn't cloaked in dogma or political calculation. It was an invitation,' she continued. 'An invitation to imagine what could happen if we centered our lives not around fear or control, but around love, service, and radical compassion.' Pope Leo's grin grew even wider, and he went from waving at the adoring crowd members to pointing his finger toward Oprah's direction Oprah's playful appearance at the the first mass for Pope Leo comes after another hilarious video in which she and Gayle partied before heading to one of the Los Angeles dates of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour late last month. 'Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up!' Oprah shouted in a video of the women, before Gayle quoted lyrics from Beyoncé's Texas Hold 'Em, interjecting with 'Don't be a b****, come take it to the floor now.' The concert ended up creating some blowback among fans for Gayle, though, as some complained that she was ' flaunting her wealth ' as she and Oprah partied before the concert. The controversy followed after her ticket on Blue Origin's all-female voyage into space cost a whopping $150,000.
