Maria Shriver Heading to Oprah's OWN Network?
Maria Shriver may be heading to Oprah's network for a reality show based in Los Angeles. Reports state that Oprah is desperate to create buzz for her network, which is losing money and employees at lightning speed.
It's been quite a week for the Oprah Network (OWN) as news about Rosie O'Donnell's cancelled show created backlash among staff members. Now the report comes that at least 30 OWN employees have been let go due to budget cuts and Oprah is trying to save her fledgling network.
Maria Shriver, a longtime friend of Oprah, may be joining the OWN team with her own special-interest series.
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"Oprah knows that she needs to pull a rabbit out of the hat, literally," a source told RadarOnline.com. "She has been in discussions with Maria for a very long time … However, Oprah has ramped up the pressure in the past several weeks."
The possibility of Maria having her own show, though, is unlikely since "she doesn't want that amount of responsibility, period." In response, "Oprah has told Maria that she could do specials for the network with an emphasis on the human interest issues that she is passionate about. Oprah admires and respects Maria so much, and she think her viewers can relate to her," the source explained.
Shriver has had several personal experiences that would certainly help her relate to audiences. She has worked with the Special Olympics, produced the Emmy-award winning documentary "The Alzheimer's Project" and launched "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything." Last year it was revealed that her husband, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, had fathered a son out of wedlock and the couple was divorcing.
She has remained out of the media spotlight since then, staying close to her family.
"As a mother, my concern is for the children," Shriver stated. "I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal."
She and her two children have moved into a home close to Schwarzenegger so that the family can remain near one another.
Her journalism career would be a great asset to the OWN network, as would her personality. Shriver's Twitter profile reads: "I am an activist, journalist and mother. I consider myself a work in progress. My mission: to inspire and empower people to be Architects of Change."
