Arnold Schwarzenegger Admitted He ‘Inflicted Tremendous Pain’ On His Family Following His Huge Mistake

Apr 26, 2022 by apost team

Whether you know him as the Terminator, a 1970s bodybuilding legend or the former governor of California, Schwarzenegger needs no introduction. The 74-year-old has made a name for himself across the globe, and in recent years, he’s used his platform to raise awareness about climate change. At home, however, Schwarzenegger has had a turbulent personal life.

Schwarzenegger’s father, who was a former Nazi party member, both verbally and physically abused him and his brother. And when Schwarzenegger fulfilled his dream of becoming a bodybuilder, his dad made fun of him. Their relationship was so strained that Schwarzenegger refused to attend his father’s funeral.

Despite his rough upbringing, Schwarzenegger seemed to have built a picture-perfect family later in life. He became a member of the prestigious Kennedy family when he married Maria Shriver, daughter of Eunice Shriver and her husband R. Sargent Shriver. And the power couple had four children together: Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.

But things were not as they seemed. In 2011, it came out that Schwarzenegger had had a child with the family’s maid, Mildred Patricia Baena, in 1997 while he was married to Shriver. That child, Joseph Baena, led to endless media coverage in 2011, and Shriver filed for divorce. While the divorce was only just finalized at the end of 2021, Shriver and Schwarzenegger have been separated since news broke of the actor’s secret “love child."

It’s evident that Schwarzenegger has made some mistakes, but the star has worked hard over the past decade to repair his broken relationships with his family members.

In 2017, Schwarzenegger opened up about his affair in a profile in Men’s Journal. When asked about his affair with Baena, the actor told the magazine that he doesn’t dwell on his mistakes.

“You do think about it every so often,” he explained, “and I can beat myself up as much as I want — it’s not gonna change the situation. So the key thing is, How do you move forward? How do you have a great relationship with your kids?

“You can’t go back — if I could, in reality, be Terminator, of course I would go back in time and would say, ‘Arnold . . . no,’” he added. “You know, it’s always easy to be smart in hindsight. That’s not the way it works.”

In 2012, the actor also admitted to having multiple affairs. "I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids," he said at the time. The couple released a statement to the LA Times and announced their separation in 2011.

"This is a painful and heartbreaking time," Shriver said. "As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment."

Shriver, who resigned from her position as a journalist when Schwarzenegger ran for office, certainly seems to have figured out her path forward. She’s returned to reporting, focusing on issues related to Alzheimer's disease, and she published a best-selling book in 2018. There also doesn’t seem to be too much ill will between Schwarzenegger and Shriver these days. 

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Back in Aug. 2017, the former couple put their difficult past aside as they went out to enjoy a family dinner alongside their four adult children, according to the Daily Mail. Schwarzenegger and Shriver even walked alongside each other as they made their way out of the restaurant and headed toward the same car.

In 2020, Shriver wished her ex-husband a happy birthday, and the former couple have appeared in pictures together on social media. Although the affairs no doubt led to Shriver and Schwarzenegger’s split, Schwarzenegger’s daughter, Katherine, said that her parents did their best to keep the family together.

“My parents were very, very big on making sure that we remained a family unit no matter what happened and they did a really good job at that,” Katherine told The Talk, according to PEOPLE. “We’ve remained very very normal and we just have a lot of love for each other. We’re overly obsessed with each other … they did a great job, both my parents … maintaining our family unit.”

In Aug. 2020, Patrick uploaded a heartwarming family photo on his Instagram that showed him and his siblings celebrating Schwarzenegger’s birthday. In the caption, Patrick wrote, “Happy birthday pop! Love u.”

Even though Schwarzenegger’s past mistakes had a negative effect on his family and his relationship with his loved ones, he has worked hard to regain their trust and respect over the years. It’s clear that Schwarzenegger and Shriver also have been able to overcome their differences to continue to co-parent their child at every age.

Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger had such a troubled upbringing? Or that he had multiple affairs? Let us know — and be sure to pass this story on.