Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Showering Youngest Son Joseph Baena With Public Support For His Birthday

Arnold Schwarzenegger private life took a turn ten years ago when he admitted in a 2011 therapy session with ex-wife Maria Shriver that he’d had an affair with their family housekeeper Mildred Baena, resulting in the birth of son then 14-year-old Joseph Baena. Shriver soon after filed for divorce, and the Los Angeles Times broke the story that year, while Schwarzenegger has ever since worked to repair his relationships with his other four children — Christina, Christopher, Patrick, and Katherine Schwarzenegger — and laid the foundation for a new family dynamic in which he finally publicly claimed son Joseph as his own. This year, for Joseph Baena’s 24th birthday, dad Schwarzenegger was full of pride for his son’s accomplishments and celebrated the occasion with a series of father-son photos, and it’s a sure sign of how far this family has come.

“Happy birthday Joseph! I am so proud of you and I love you!” Schwarzenegger wrote in a birthday message to his son shared to Twitter. “You are crushing it in the gym, in your real estate career, and in acting. I know this will be another fantastic year.” Alongside the caption, there are some classic father-son moments captured between the former California governor and his youngest: riding bikes! Raising a glass! Rocking matching shades!

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Back in 2011, Schwarzenegger explained in a statement to the LA Times that he’d come clean to his wife as soon as he left office in California, and that he knew it was his responsibility to right the wrongs of his misdeeds.

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“I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry,” he said.

A decade later, we’re so glad to see Schwarzenegger and his family in a better place.

Before you go, click here to see more celebrities with huge families.

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