Arnold Schwarzenegger Opens Up About Admitting to Fathering Child with Another Woman

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous actor and former California governor, has shared details about the moment he confessed to his ex-wife, Maria Shriver, that he had fathered a child with another woman.

The 75-year-old star revealed this in his new Netflix documentary, aptly titled “Arnold.”

Schwarzenegger and Shriver were married for over 20 years, from 1985 until their divorce in 2021.

However, during their marriage, he had an affair with Mildred Baena, their former housekeeper, in 1996.

This affair resulted in the birth of their son, Joseph Baena, who is now 25 years old.

In his recently released three-part docuseries, Schwarzenegger disclosed that his “heart stopped” when Shriver confronted him about rumors concerning Joseph's paternity back in 2011.

At that time, the couple was attending regular counseling sessions following Schwarzenegger's tenure as governor.

The Terminator star recounted the moment, saying, “One day, the counselor said, ‘Today, Maria wants to be very specific about something.

She wants to know if you're the father of Joseph.'

I thought my heart stopped.

And then I told the truth.

‘Yes Maria, Joseph is my son.'

She was obviously crushed by that.”

According to The Sun, Schwarzenegger revealed that Mildred continued working for his family even after the affair ended.

Initially, it was believed that Mildred's husband, Rogelio, was Joseph's father.

As Joseph grew older, Schwarzenegger became more certain about his paternity.

He said, “In the beginning, I really didn't know, but the older he got, the more it became clear to me.

It was then just a matter of, ‘How do you keep this quiet?'”

Schwarzenegger and Shriver have four children together: Katherine, 33, Christina, 31, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25.

Notably, Joseph was born just days after Christopher.

The couple announced their divorce in May 2011 after a 25-year marriage.

It was during this time that Schwarzenegger publicly acknowledged his paternity of Joseph.

In a joint statement, Schwarzenegger and Shriver expressed, “This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us.

After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together.

At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship.

We are continuing to parent our four children together.

They are the light and center of both of our lives.”

Reflecting on the affair, Schwarzenegger referred to it as his biggest “failure” and recognized the pain it caused his family.

He admitted, “I have caused enough pain for my family because of my f*** up.

Everyone had to suffer.

Maria had to suffer, the kids had to suffer, Joseph, his mother, everyone.

I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

Despite the challenges, Schwarzenegger maintains a close relationship with all five of his children.

In 2015, he described his bond with them as “fantastic.”

The documentary “Arnold” is set to premiere on Netflix on June 7th, providing viewers with further insights into Schwarzenegger's personal journey.