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Jan 21, 2024

Arnold Schwarzenegger on 'crushing' moment he told wife about love child

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, has been keeping busy with his FUBAR Netflix

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, has been keeping busy with his FUBAR Netflix series and his upcoming documentary for the streaming site.

The Terminator actor doesn't hold back in the doc titled Arnold, as he recalled the moment his now ex-wife Maria Shriver found out about his infidelity.

Arnold admitted he had an affair with their housekeeper, Mildred Baena, giving birth to their son Joseph Baena, 25, in 1997.

During a marriage counselling session in 2011, the counsellor had stated at the time: "Today Maria wants to be very specific about something.

"She wants to know if you're the father of Joseph."

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Arnold expressed: "I thought my heart stopped. And then I told the truth. 'Yes, Maria. Joseph is my son.' She was obviously crushed by that."

The Hollywood star explained that at first, both himself and Mildred assumed the child was her husband Rogelio's, and she continued to work for the Schwarzenegger family.

He stated: "In the beginning, I really didn't know, but the older he got, the more it became clear to me."

In a snippet from the Netflix doc trailer, Arnold says about the affair: "It was then just a matter of, 'How do you keep this quiet?'"

Throughout the course of Arnold and Maria's 25-year marriage, the pair welcomed daughters Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, as well as sons, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25, who was born mere days before his other son, Joseph, was born.

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Regarding the affair, Arnold admitted that it was his "biggest failure" in life, stating: "I have caused enough pain for my family, because of my f**k-up. Everyone had to suffer.

"Maria had to suffer, the kids had to suffer, Joseph, his mother, everyone."

Following the affair, Mildred left her husband and Schwarzenegger provided for both her and Joseph, purchasing them a home with a pool in California in 2010.

The housekeeper retired in 2011, the same year that Maria ended her relationship with Arnold, prompting their separation.

She filed for divorce in July of that same year which wasn't officially finalised until 10 years later in 2021.

This comes as it has been reported that Arnold's four children from his marriage to Maria have a very strained relationship with their half-brother Joseph.

The Terminator star and his son are reported to be "very close", however, a source has claimed that Arnold's children from his first marriage want nothing to do with Joseph.

A source told Page Six: "But, to be honest, the other kids don't love Joe.

"It's a shame as he's a really good kid, and Arnold has always treated him like all his other kids — very fairly. But for whatever reason, the other kids take [the affair] out on Joe."

Express.co.uk contacted Arnold and his children's representatives at the time.