“I’ve Kind of Always Known”: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Bodybuilder Son Makes Unexpected Revelation About His Father

In 2011, shortly after Arnold Schwarzenegger ended his second term as Governor of California, news of a rift between him and his former wife Maria Shriver emerged. Shriver filed for divorce after she found out that Arnold had an affair with his housekeeper and they had a child from it. While he called his infidelity a “major failure,” the Terminator actor made it clear that he’s proud to call Joseph Baena his son.

While the world had no clue that the bodybuilding enthusiast was the Hollywood icon’s son, Joseph had known for much longer. Recently, Arnie’s youngest son appeared on bodybuilder Nyle Nayga’s podcast. While conversing with the 26-year-old actor, the host reluctantly asked a question, knowing it wouldn’t be easy for Joseph to talk about it even after a decade. It was about when Joseph found out that Arnold was his dad. Baena also seemed to find it difficult to freely talk about it. However, he answered, “That’s something that I’ve kind of always known.” 

While the Bully High actor couldn’t mention an exact time, he said, “As long as I can remember.” Joseph knew that Arnold was his dad from a very young age, as his mom was the only one who knew about it. So he kept it to himself as a kid. He added, “It was more of just like a like a fact.” 

Instead of riding the fame train after he discovered that his father is Hollywood star and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joseph Baena opted to keep his mother Mildred Baena’s surname, a move that was one of the most defining moments of his life.

Joseph followed in his father’s footsteps though, not only entering the acting industry but also taking fitness tips from him. The resemblance between father and son is uncanny.

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However, it’s been more than a decade after everyone involved has accepted and mostly moved on from the situation, and Arnie still finds it difficult to speak about it.

Arnold Schwarzenegger called it his “failure”

During the promotion of FUBAR, the 76-year-old spoke about the parallels between his FUBAR character, Luke, and himself. Luke tries to win back his wife after a strained marriage and infidelity tore them apart.

“We were laughing about it — it feels like it’s a documentary,” Schwarzenegger said during an interview. However, he still finds it hard to deal with his real-life actions. The FUBAR star said, “It was my f***up. It was my failure.” 

However, Arnie has openly talked about his son Joseph and showered love. He said, “It was wrong what I did. But I don’t want to make Joseph feel that he is not welcomed in this world — because he is very much welcomed in this world,” Schwarzenegger said. “I love him and he has turned out to be an extraordinary young man.”

Despite the whole family facing this situation, the 76-year-old ensured his kids didn’t suffer. Schwarzenegger and Shriver worked closely to make sure their kids didn’t have to bear the brunt of Arnie’s actions. While Joseph Baena’s revelation about his father was surprising, it doesn’t change the fact that everyone involved in the incident will always find it hard to open up.

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