Summary
- Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to multiple affairs, which had a significant impact on his relationship with his wife and children.
- One of these affairs resulted in the birth of a son, Joseph, with his former housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena.
- There is speculation that Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, was aware of his infidelity, but the exact details of what she knew remain unknown.
There's a lot that takes place in Hollywood that the public isn't aware of and that remains behind closed doors. While it's not necessarily information that audiences are privy to, it's sometimes difficult to see one of your favorite celebrities partake in disappointing behaviors. When Arnold Schwarzenegger, a big-time actor and politician, revealed that he had been unfaithful to his wife of many years, who was also the mother to four of his children, the world didn't know what to say.
That blow was even more impacted by the later news of Schwarzenegger having fathered a child out of wedlock. Despite the various affairs that he admitted to, only one of them resulted in a child, with the family's former housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena. Did Arnold's wife know all along, or was she just as surprised as the fans when the news broke?
Arnold Schwarzenegger Admitted To Having Multiple Affairs
After years of denial, Schwarzenegger has come clean about his indiscretions
Arnold Schwarzenegger has lived a long life filled with bodybuilding competitions, film roles, government offices, and family. Arnold is a father of five and has worked to maintain a solid relationship with all his children. However, the years have been rocky as the iconic figure engaged in several extramarital affairs. These infidelities not only affected his and his now ex-wife's relationship, but those with his children as well.
While Schwarzenegger spent many years denying that he participated in any illegitimate acts with women who weren't his wife, he later came clean when the secrets couldn't stay hidden any longer. Everything came to light in 2011, the same year that Arnold and his wife, Maria Shriver, filed for divorce.
Although the process from beginning to end would take upwards of ten years, it was eventually finalized in 2021.
Arnold Has One Child With Mildred Patricia Baena
During her pregnancy and for years afterward, Mildred Baena was employed by the Schwarzenegger family
While Arnold admitted that he has engaged in several affairs during his relationship with Maria Shriver, only one of the flings resulted in a pregnancy and subsequent birth.
Mildred Patricia Baena, a long-time housekeeper for the Schwarzenegger-Shriver family, gave birth to her and Schwarzenegger's son, Joseph Baena, in 1997. Joseph was born within a week of Maria giving birth to her son Christopher.
Arnold Schwarzenegger claims that he wasn't aware of Joseph's paternity until the child was a bit older and began to resemble him. While the narrative seems to have swayed throughout the years at her end, Mildred Baena seems to agree with Arnold's story for the most part and says that her ex-husband was the one convinced he wasn't the boy's father long before she realized the truth.
Once he became aware that he was likely the father, Schwarzenegger began to financially compensate the boy and his mother. However, Arnold alleges a discussion was never had between himself and his former maid about whether he was biologically related to Joseph.
As for Mildred Patricia Baena, her now ex-husband divorced her shortly after Joseph's birth.
It's Alleged That Maria Shriver Knew About All Arnold's Affairs
While she put on a calm face to the public, there were rumors that Shriver was aware of what was happening
Although Arnold continued to deny that any affairs had taken place, it is alleged that Maria Shriver knew of his behavior and chose to keep it under wraps. While the news wasn't officially revealed to Maria and the four children she and Arnold shared until Joseph was 14, Maria Shriver took the news of the infidelity in stride.
It's not known if Shriver's response was due to her knowing that the cheating was happening all those years or if it was because Shriver was also stepping outside the marriage prior to the couple's divorce.
There is speculation on Reddit from previous government aides to Maria's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, that Shriver would routinely cry about Arnold's affairs upon a visit to her mother's office.
While many years have passed since revealing to his family that he fathered a child out of wedlock, it appears the relationship between Maria's children and Joseph continues to be strained. On his end, Arnold has forged a strong relationship and bond with all five children and appears to be an active part of their lives, even continuing to celebrate their milestones alongside their mothers.
It can be hard to see a person that you idolize in a negative light, and many were forced to do so when Schwarzenegger revealed his misconduct many years after the fact. Yet his relationships with his children today (even if the Schwarzenegger kids don't all get along) suggest that Arnold has mended the most important fences.
