Arnold Schwarzenegger Opens Up Old Wounds With the 'Pain' He Caused Maria Shriver After His Affair Was Revealed

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.


If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has gone from Mr. Universe to A-list actor to California governor, but it’s his cheating scandal that he will probably be most remembered for in some circles. In 2011, it was revealed that he had an affair with his family’s housekeeper which produced a child, son Joseph Baena, and ended his marriage to Maria Shriver. The 75-year-old star is now revisiting that moment in his life in a three-part Netflix documentary, Arnold, that premieres June 7.

More from SheKnows

In a trailer released on Wednesday, Schwarzenegger recalled the scandal in the clip, “People will remember my successes and they will also remember those failures.” He added, “It was very tough on my marriage, on my relationship with the kids. I have caused enough pain for my family that I will have to live with it for the rest of my life.” The affair with Mildred Baena lasted 15 years and often occurred at his family’s home while Shriver was traveling for work or with their four kids, Katherine, 33, Christina, 31, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25. Christopher and Joseph were born just five days apart, so Schwarzenegger’s wife and mistress were shockingly pregnant at the same time.

The discovery that Joseph was Schwarzenegger’s child was not made until he was about seven or eight. “It just appeared to me there was something off, that he started looking like me,” the former governor told 60 Minutes in 2012. He took care of Joseph financially for the rest of his childhood, and Mildred continued to work in his home until Shriver confronted her then-husband the day after he left office — and his dark secret was revealed.

Click here to read the full article.

Buy: ‘Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story’ $14.99

Schwarzenegger documented his life story in a 2012 memoir, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, but the Netflix documentary will hopefully shed new light on the trauma he caused his family. However, it may not be a memory his ex-wife and adult children want to remember.

Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who have admitted to cheating on their partners.

Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan

Launch Gallery: Adam Levine, Tristan Thompson, & More Celebrities Who Have Reportedly Been Caught Cheating Multiple Times

Best of SheKnows

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter.
For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.