Patrick Schwarzenegger, the son of actor and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, is very close with his big family. His fiancée, Abby Champion, fits right in.
The model often attends family events with her partner, his father Arnold, his mother Maria Shriver, and his oldest sister Katherine Schwarzenegger, who is married to Chris Pratt. Patrick also has a younger brother named Christopher and a second older sister named Christina.
Champion and Schwarzenegger have been together for almost a decade but only got engaged last year. In that time dating, they’ve both accomplished a lot. Schwarzenegger’s acting career has taken off with roles in Netflix’s Moxie and the HBO true crime series The Staircase. Champion, meanwhile, has been modeling for big brands all over the world.
Here is everything to know about Patrick Schwarzenegger’s fiancée, Abby Champion.
Who is Abby Champion?
The 26-year-old was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In an interview with LOVE magazine in 2019, she described her childhood home as being on a “quiet street” with lots of land around it. She told Vestavia Voice in 2016 that a Southern upbringing “teaches you to have good manners, enjoy good food, and reminds me of the importance of faith and family.”
She has three siblings, with whom she seems to have a close relationship.
Champion’s older sister Baskin is also a model; she was notably crowned Miss Teen Alabama in 2014. (Baskin Champion was also famously romantically linked to Justin Bieber very briefly in 2018.)
At a 2014 Miss Teen USA event for Baskin, Champion was scouted herself and eventually signed with Next Models Worldwide. The sisters went on to model together for Aeropostale. Champion has now modeled for Prada, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and Givenchy.
She told V Magazine that she wanted to pursue a modeling career from her very first show.
“That show, for me, made me want to work hard to be able to do many more shows. There was so much adrenaline and power that I saw the other girls hold that made me love it so much,” she said.
The couple is very supportive of one another’s jobs. Schwarzenegger told E!, “I think the best part about having her by my side is that she’s always rooting for me and wanting the best for me and bringing out the best in me. I always say that in a relationship, you have to be each other’s biggest cheerleader. Build each other up. And she does that for me.”
The pair has even modeled together for Calvin Klein Jeans and in Vogue.
How long have Schwarzenegger and Champion been together?
The pair have been dating since 2015, at least as far as the public knows. They were spotted that September at the Nice Guy in West Hollywood on a dinner date. They went “Instagram official” on Champion’s account in February 2016 with a sweet couple’s portrait.
In 2019, they attended the annual Casamigos Halloween party as iconic Austin Powers characters.
They do periodically share photos of one another on social media, typically on holidays or milestone occasions. In 2020, Schwarzenegger shared the story of their epic baking attempt for Easter.
In 2022, he wrote an ode to Champion on Instagram, writing in the caption, “HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY @abbychampion LOVE THIS GIRL SO MUCH!! SUCH A HARD WORKER. SO BEAUTIFUL. FAITHFUL. DRINKS 2 CUPS OF COFFEE! LOVES ICE CREAM. LOVES HER SUGARY COCKTAILS. LOVES JESUS & AMERICA TOO. CANT WAIT TILL YOUR BACK IN TOWN.”
And in July of that year, Champion shared a cute waterside photo.
On Feb. 28, 2024, Schwarzenegger shared a birthday tribute to Champion. “Happy 27th Birthday @abbychampion !!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Can’t wait to celebrate and order off the kids menu !! ❤️❤️” he wrote.
When did they get engaged?
The couple got engaged in December 2023, posting a joint announcement on Instagram. The carousel of pics showed the couple on the beach in front of a massive red rose floral arrangement in the shape of a heart, and then later at home with a celebratory cake.
“💍❤️FOREVER AND EVER ❤️💍,” they captioned the image.
How is their wedding planning going?
Schwarzenegger told People in late September that they haven’t made much progress on their wedding planning, in part because he was away working on The White Lotus. It’s coming along “slowly but surely. I was gone the last seven months in Thailand [filming The White Lotus], so we really didn’t do anything.”
“I’m just, whatever she wants [for the wedding],” he said of his fiancée’s preferences. “I’m just there to help out and make it happen.”
Do they hope to start a family together?
Yes, but not now. Schwarzenegger spoke about where they stand on having kids someday. He explained to People in late September 2024, “It’s up to Abby. I mean, with her work right now, she’s so busy and stuff.”
“I don’t know [about the timing of our first child]—but I would have kids tomorrow if I could,” he added.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.