Meet Model Abby Champion, Patrick Schwarzenegger's Fiancée and "Biggest Cheerleader"

The two have been together since 2015.

She's from Birmingham, Alabama, She accidently became a model, She is Schwarzenegger's biggest supporter, She prefers to keep her life private

Key Points

  • Patrick Schwarzenegger met Abby Champion in 2015 through a mutual friend. The couple started dating shorty after, and in 2023 the actor proposed.
  • The pair will tie the knot in 2025 and already have kids on the mind.
  • Champion is a model who got her start after she was scouted at her sister's pageant. She has since walked runways for top fashion houses.

Patrick Schwarzenegger was basically born into the spotlight with his high-profile parents, actor and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver. But he didn't explode into superstardom until 2025, when he played the love-him-or-hate-him Saxon Ratliff on The White Lotus Season 3. Now, everyone wants to poke around in the golden boy's life, especially as it relates to his romances. Luckily, he has a love story for the ages.

The Staircase star met his one true love, Abby Champion, through a mutual friend in 2015. “We were all meeting for drinks in a big group and hit it off, and the rest is history," he told The Daily Front Row in September 2024. They were Instagram official by February 2016 and have never looked back.

In December 2023, Schwarzenegger got down on one knee and asked his sweetheart to be his fiancée with a romantic, rose-petal-strewn beach proposal. They're set to tie the knot in 2025, and have already thought about having little Champion-Schwarzeneggers. The actor told People in September 2024 that he can't wait to start a family with his wifey: “It’s up to Abby. I mean, with her work right now, she's so busy and stuff. I don’t know—but I would have kids tomorrow if I could.”

The model sure has captured Schwarzenegger's heart, and she just might capture yours, too. Ahead, here's everything to know about Champion.

She's from Birmingham, Alabama

She's from Birmingham, Alabama, She accidently became a model, She is Schwarzenegger's biggest supporter, She prefers to keep her life private

Getty Images Abby Champion attends the Carolina Herrera fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 9, 2024, in New York City.

Champion is a real Southern belle. Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, the blonde beauty grew up with three siblings. She described her childhood in the state as "amazing" to a local news outlet, the Vestavia Voice, in 2016: "It teaches you to have good manners, enjoy good food and reminds me of the importance of faith and family," she told the publication. In a 2019 interview with Love magazine, she said she grew up on a "quiet" street because her family owned quite a bit of land.

She accidently became a model

She's from Birmingham, Alabama, She accidently became a model, She is Schwarzenegger's biggest supporter, She prefers to keep her life private

Getty Images Abby Champion walks in the Zimmermann Womenswear Spring-Summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 30, 2024, in Paris, France.

Champion's career walking runways all began because her older sister, Baskin, was a model first. (Super fans may recognize Baskin as one of Justin Bieber's rumored flings back in 2018.) Baskin served as Miss Teen Alabama in 2014 and went on to represent the state at the national pageant a year later. Abby revealed to Vestavia Voice that she was scouted at one of her sister's pageants when a recruiter approached her to see if she had any interest in becoming a model.

She added that she was able to "watch and learn from [Baskin] as she began," and they ended up signing to agencies around the same time. (Abby's is Next Models Worldwide.) They even did an Aeropostale campaign and walked in Birmingham Fashion Week together back in 2015.

She's from Birmingham, Alabama, She accidently became a model, She is Schwarzenegger's biggest supporter, She prefers to keep her life private

Champion has since starred in print and digital campaigns and walked for luxury fashion houses including Prada, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and Givenchy. She told V Magazine in 2012 that modeling captured her heart from her very first walk: "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 explained.

In an iconic couples moment, Champion and her hubby appeared side-by-side in a 2019 Calvin Klein Jeans campaign. They followed this up with a Vogue feature in November 2022. Then, in March 2025, they stripped down to their underwear for a Skims Wedding Shop campaign. Champion posed in sexy lingerie, while Schwarzenegger bared his abs in nothing but boxer briefs. The actor said in the press release that the shoot made him "more excited" than ever for their wedding.

She is Schwarzenegger's biggest supporter

She's from Birmingham, Alabama, She accidently became a model, She is Schwarzenegger's biggest supporter, She prefers to keep her life private

Getty Images Abby Champion and Patrick Schwarzenegger attend 'The White Lotus' x Banana Republic collection launch on March 4, 2025, in New York City.

These two are not only lovebirds but best friends, stepping out to support one another at every milestone. Schwarzenegger spoke about having Champion in his corner during a 2019 interview with E! News: ​​"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."

He also spoke about cheering on Champion's successes during a February 2025 interview with People. "Now to see her, when I walk down the street, on every billboard of Chanel or Celine or Victoria’s Secret ... It's just such a great thing to watch how much she's grown and how determined she is and how hardworking she is and how she has such a vision for her life," he said.

Champion is not only there for all of Schwarzenegger's career goals, but also for personal joys, including big family moments. The model has spent several holidays and vacations with the Schwarzeneggers.

She prefers to keep her life private

She's from Birmingham, Alabama, She accidently became a model, She is Schwarzenegger's biggest supporter, She prefers to keep her life private

Although she has more than 350k followers on Instagram and has been on some of the biggest billboards in the world, Champion likes to keep her personal life on the down-low. "The most enduring lesson I've learned from being in the public eye is that so much of what you see is fake and people can be so hurtful online. I don't take anything personally or ever believe what I see on the internet," she said during a 2021 interview with V Magazine.

But Schwarzenegger can't help but show off his lady on his own social platforms. He celebrated Champion's 28th birthday with a sweet and silly Instagram tribute: "Happy birthday to my queen! My ride or die. Crazy to think we fell in love 10 years ago!! So proud of the human you are. You continue to inspire me. I love watching your dedication to your family , friends , faith and your work. It’s been a blessing to be on this journey with you & I can’t wait to watch where life takes us. Have the best day & another fantastic year PS: I’m gonna get in trouble but the photos at the end are so funny to see now. Love you chomppppp @abbychampion." He included a series of photos of the two, including some major throwback pics that were a testament to their enduring partnership.

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