Maria to NBC -- Keep Your $200k

TMZ has found out what went down between NBC and Maria Shriver. Fact is, it was chump change for Arnold's wife.

Here's what we know. Between 2005 and 2007, NBC gave Maria a "holding fee" of around $200,000 a year. The deal was that if she came back full time, the Network would resume paying her a pre-negotiated multi-million dollar salary. We're told NBC feared if they didn't pay her a holding fee to lock her up, another network would grab her -- and not in the way Arnold grabs.

Anywho, in March 2007, Maria pulled the plug because after the coverage of Anna Nicole's death she felt it was below her dignity to go back.

Anyone reading this who got the ax from NBC, this has gotta hurt.

Reader Comments

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16. Maria Shriver has the absolute worst voice I have ever heard on television. It is a low, monotone, dreary, lifeless sound that hurt my ears. For that reason alone, she should never be allowed to speak on any television broadcast. I could not stand listening to her when she was on NBC. The channel would be changed out of necessity.

Posted at 1:21PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Alicia

17. Jo Anne, Before you flap your piehole and make a fool of yourself, try doing some research into Arnold's family history. His papa was involved in the Third Reich -- it's a FACT. And I stand by my remarks 100%. So deal with it.

Posted at 1:33PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Christopher

18. Jo Anne, Before you flap your piehole and make a fool of yourself, try doing some research into Arnold's family history. His papa was involved in the Third Reich -- it's a FACT. And I stand by my remarks 100%. So deal with it.

Posted at 1:33PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Christopher

19. Maria Shriver was absolutely right. It was beneath her dignity to return to television reporting. It should have been beneath everyone's dignity to allow the death of that sad woman to become such a spectacle. She had no dignity in life and we, and the media, wouldn't allow her any dignity in death. We demean ourselves when demand/allow the media to serve salaciuos hash as our food for thought and call it "news."

Posted at 2:02PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Kate deL

20. Christopher, a high percentage of people in Germany, Austria and other countries have relatives who were involved in the Third Reich. It's reprehensible to label people based on the actions of their ancestors. Let me guess, a Hillary supporter?

Posted at 1:48PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Crazyisascrazydoes

21. Christopher,
You should do your own research. Yes, Arnold's father was a registered member the the Nazi party. It was the times, you had to be registered to avoid persecution. Often it was a choice of engage in a passive membership or be killed. Mr. Schwarzenegger wasn't "involved in the Third Reich." You make him sound like Himmler himself. Even if Mr Schwarzenegger was actively involved Why do you visit the sins of the father onto the son? Arnold was born after the end of WWII and it is well known that he was estranged from his father.

Posted at 2:02PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Kate deL

22. Nazi bitch. Arny is a punk nazi. I saw him once and couldn't believe what a shrimp he was.
Could snap him like a twig. All Kennedy's are sell-outs.

Posted at 2:14PM on Mar 17th 2008 by jFp

23. would love to see her with a shaved head! yikes. freaky.

Posted at 2:57PM on Mar 17th 2008 by tomaum

24. I saw a interview in the past with arnold where he said his father was a State Police, and was this in Austria ?

Posted at 3:03PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Fact ?

25. She can't work AND keep an eye on Arnold.

Posted at 3:14PM on Mar 17th 2008 by LightBulb.

26.
Maria has already discussed all this numerous times. It's old news, why is TMZ reporting it as if it is some sort of "scoop"? They kept her on retainer during the campaigning and such, hoping she would return later, but in the meantime, news coverage changed and she didn't want to be a part of it. Old News.

Posted at 3:33PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Old News

27. I met Maria at a Laker game a couple of years ago. She was there with Arnold and she was trying to make her way to the waiting car and I asked her to pose for a photo with me...even tho she was trying to get the heck out of there, she was such a gracious woman to pose with me anyways and the photo came out wonderful. I don't care what any of you say, she is a wonderful woman.

Posted at 3:43PM on Mar 17th 2008 by JMO

28. This women graduated high school with honors then college with honors then went on to work her way into a career.
Got married, had children, stayed married. No nude phots, no rehab, no 5150's.
Let's see, why are we trashing one of America's true role models for girls???????
We could use another million or so just like her!!!!

Posted at 3:42PM on Mar 17th 2008 by pk3palm beach

29. She is the ugliest woman on the planet!!! Ewwwww!!! How could ANY network hire her??? And, how in the heck could Arnold bang that skeleton-looking face!!!!! She is horrid looking!!! She and Elliott Spitzer deserve each other!!!! They're both ugly dogs!!! Ewwwwwww!!!!!!! :P

Posted at 4:03PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Leann

30. If she and the Kennedys are so wonderful, why haven't they willingly provided direct descendant DNA so that the poor fellow in British Columbia who's been told by his mother that he's JFK's biological son can know his origin? He wants NOTHING but to know the truth, and he looks. exactly. like. JFK. He's well off in his own right, is said to be a lovely man full of character, and deserves to know out of basic human decency. None of it was of his making.

Posted at 3:51PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Sigh.

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