Maria Shriver Leaked Husband's Love Child to Newspaper, Has Hired Private Eye

Maria Shriver, wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, speaks at the African First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles April 20, 2009. REUTERS/Phil McCarten (UNITED STATES POLITICS HEALTH) (Reuters)

Maria Shriver leaked the revelations about Arnold Schwarzenegger's love child to the media and has now hired a private investigator to find out whether her estranged husband fathered more children in secret.

Shriver's friends had to persuade the "hysterical" former TV journalist not to hold a news conference when she found out in late April or early May that Schwarzenegger had fathered a son with the family's housekeeper, TMZ reported Tuesday.

She agreed to keep quiet until a week after the couple announced the end of their 25-year marriage -- and then tipped off the LA Times that the "True Lies" star had a 13-year-old son with Mildred Baena.

Claims that Schwarzenegger, 63, may have fathered more illegitimate children were exacerbated by actress Jane Seymour, who told CNN over the weekend, "I heard about two more [children] somebody else knows about. I even met someone who knows him well."

Seymour clarified her comments Monday, telling The Wrap that she was misquoted and had been referring to gossip she heard on "The Joy Behar Show."

The U-turn did not stop Shriver, 55, from hiring a private detective to scope out whether the former California governor committed any other infidelities while they were married, as well as explore his finances, RadarOnline claimed Tuesday.

"Maria is leaving no stone unturned and she has authorized a private detective to gather personal and business information about Arnold," an insider said.

"The investigator will likely look into the claims that he fathered multiple children, outside their marriage. Maria has heard the rumors and she wants to find out one way or another, if those claims are true," the source added.

The money trail from Schwarzenegger to Baena, 50, will also be examined by the investigator.

Shriver and Schwarzenegger's joint worth has been assessed at between $200 million and $400 million, meaning their divorce could be one of the costliest celebrity splits ever.

The pair is believed to have a pre-nuptial agreement, but after 25 years of marriage and Schwarzenegger's infidelity, it may not stand.