Katherine Schwarzenegger

Katherine Schwarzenegger
Katherine Schwarzenegger
	Schwarzenegger in January 2015
Born	Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger; December 13, 1989 (age 34); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Occupation	Author
Years active	2010–present
Spouse	Chris Pratt (m. 2019)
Children	2
Parents	Arnold Schwarzenegger (father); Maria Shriver (mother);
Relatives	Kennedy family
Family	Patrick Schwarzenegger (brother); Joseph Baena (half-brother)

Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger Pratt^[1]^[2] (born December 13, 1989)^[3] is an American author. Her books have covered various subjects, including self-harm, adultery and finding direction after college; she has also written two children’s books.

Early life and family

Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger^[1] is the eldest child of Austrian-born actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist and author Maria Shriver. She is of Irish and German descent through her maternal grandparents Eunice and Sargent Shriver. Her grandmother was a younger sister to President John F. Kennedy while her grandfather was a U.S. Ambassador to France and the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 1972 election.^[4]

She has a younger sister, Christina, two younger brothers, Patrick and Christopher,^[5]^[6]^[7]^[1] and a half-brother, Joseph Baena, through her father.^[8]^[9]

Career and advocacy

In 2010, Schwarzenegger wrote a book entitled Rock What You've Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who's Been There and Back.^[10] In it, Schwarzenegger describes her personal journey and encourages other young women to achieve confidence and a positive self-image.^[11] She had body image issues between fourth and seventh grade, but now controls her physical and mental health with walking exercises and yoga.^[12]

After graduating from the University of Southern California in 2012 she was unsure of her next steps. Schwarzenegger sought career advice from a variety of people, including athletes, singers, entrepreneurs, and actors.^[13] She compiled their wisdom into her second book— I Just Graduated . . . Now What?—which was released in 2014 as a "survival guide" for recent college grads.^[14]

In 2017, Schwarzenegger authored a children's book, Maverick and Me. The book tells the story of her rescue and subsequent adoption of her dog, Maverick. Using her own experience as a "foster fail" (when a foster home turns into a "furever" home), the book touts the benefits of pet adoption and rescue.^[15] In 2019, she partnered up with Pedigree to host a limited-series podcast discussing the importance of adopting dogs.^[16]

The Gift of Forgiveness: Inspiring Stories from Those Who Have Overcome the Unforgivable is Schwarzenegger's latest book, which is a compilation of stories of forgiveness. The book features the stories of 22 people including Elizabeth Smart and Tanya Brown (sister of Nicole Brown-Simpson).^[17]

Schwarzenegger is an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ambassador^[15] and supports the Best Friends Animal Society.^[18]

Personal life

Schwarzenegger started dating actor Chris Pratt in 2018. They announced their engagement in January and married in June 2019.^[19]^[20] They have two daughters: Lyla Maria, born in August 2020, and Eloise Christina, born in May 2022.^[21]^[22]

Schwarzenegger and her spouse purchased an architecturally significant house, known as the Ellwood Zimmerman House, in Brentwood, California in 2023. They demolished the building in order to build a larger home.^[23]

Bibliography

Katherine Schwarzenegger (September 14, 2010). Rock What You've Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who's Been There and Back. Hachette Books. ISBN 978-1-4013-4143-5.
Katherine Schwarzenegger (April 1, 2014). I Just Graduated ... Now What?: Honest Answers from Those Who Have Been There. Crown Publishing. ISBN 978-0385347204.
Katherine Schwarzenegger (September 5, 2017). Maverick and Me. Worthy Publishing. ISBN 978-0824956875.
Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt (March 10, 2020). The Gift of Forgiveness: Inspiring Stories from Those Who Have Overcome the Unforgivable. Pamela Dorman Books. ISBN 978-1984878250.
Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt (February 7, 2023). Good Night, Sister. Penguin Workshop. ISBN 978-0593385814.^[24]