Arnold Schwarzenegger has opened up about the difficult moment he confessed to then-wife Maria Shriver that he was unfaithful.
It was in the docu-series “Arnold,” released June 7, where the 75-year-old actor revealed how his extramarital affair and fathering a son with his housekeeper, Mildred Baena, affected his family’s life.
This is how Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted his infidelity in front of his wife
During the third episode of the aforementioned program, Arnold Schwarzenegger said that it was Maria Shriver herself who asked him if he had cheated on her.
“Maria and I went to therapy once a week, and in one of those sessions, the therapist said, ‘I think Maria wants to talk about something very specific. He wants to know if you are Joseph’s father,” he said.
“And… I thought my heart stopped. And I told her the truth: “Yes, Mary, Joseph is my son.” Obviously, that destroyed her,” he added.
The ‘Terminator’ star pointed out that his ‘affair’ with Mildred Baena happened in 1996 and that he initially ‘didn’t know’ the baby she had was his.
“But, I started to feel it. As he got older, it became clear to me, and there came a time when I said, “How can I keep it a secret?” How do I keep it… a secret?” he said.
According to a report by The Sun, as of December 2021, the actor was allegedly involved with Baena while Maria and children Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher were on vacation.
He would have missed his break because he was shooting a movie. The outlet also revealed that Joseph was born on October 2, 1997.
Schwarzenegger and Shriver announced their separation after 25 years of marriage on May 10, 2011. A week later, the Los Angeles Times reported that she was having an affair with his employee.
In his recent account, Arnold revealed that before information about what he did came out, he was able to talk to his children: “I had to go with them and explain it to them,” he said.
When his adultery was finally revealed, he issued a statement accepting it and apologizing to his former partner.
“After I left the governor’s office, I told my wife about this event, which happened more than a decade ago. I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and frustration among my friends and family,” he said.
“There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the damage I have caused. I apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I’m really sorry,” he added.
“I ask the media to respect my wife and children in these extremely difficult times. While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not,” he concluded.
Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t want to hurt his family
In his new statements, Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that he doesn’t like to talk about this slip-up because of the discomfort it still causes Maria Shriver and Kathryn, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.
“The reason I hesitate to talk about it is because every time I do it reopens the wounds and I think my shit has caused my family enough pain,” he said.
“Because of me, everyone suffered. Maria got sick, and so did my children. Joseph, his mom, everyone. I’ll have to live with this for the rest of my life,” he reflected.
Currently, the interpreter has a good bond with Joseph, so he doesn’t want to “feel unwelcome.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, Mildred Baena stopped working for Schwarzenegger and Shriver in January 2011, after 20 years. He claimed he received severance pay and “left on good terms with them”.
Source: univision
Jason Root is a writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth coverage of famous people in entertainment, sports, and politics. He has a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines and bringing readers an inside look at the lives of the famous. He has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley.
