Those who know, are aware that Arnold Schwarzenegger has a son with his former maid, Mildred Baena. The now 24-year-old Joseph Baena has opened up about the fact that his father stopped supporting him financially the moment he graduated from college. Interviews that followed explained Arnold’s reasons, and how his son has adapted to the working world.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has a not so “secret son”
One of the most spoken-about affairs in Hollywood took place in the 90s. The Terminator actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had an affair with his housekeeper, Mildred Baena, born in Guatemala. The affair resulted in a conceived child, but the identity of the child was only revealed a decade after he was born. The Los Angeles Times caught wind of the rumor, and in 2011 they released an article that brought light to the secret between Arnold and Mildred. The public was shocked to find out about Arnold’s secret son, whose reputation was now being questioned. His wife, Maria Shriver, reportedly moved out after the big reveal.
Arnold’s not-so-secret son is Joseph Baena. His mother gave him her own namesake, Baena. Joseph later stated he had no plans of changing his last name, now that he knows he is Schwarzenegger’s son. He grew up not knowing who his father was until he turned 11. His grandmother eventually told him the news, and Joseph said that this knowledge was life-changing. In a Podcast, Joseph spoke about the day the secret started to leak to the public.
“I remember the day very vividly,” Joseph recalled. “I was in the eighth grade. Fifth or sixth period. And I get called out of class to leave. And my mom’s there, and she’s like, ‘We gotta go – everyone is finding out about you and who your father is.’”
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Joseph went to College
Once Arnold was proven to be Joseph’s father, he took full responsibility financially and in building a relationship with his love child. He bought Mildred and Joseph a four-bedroom house with a swimming pool. Additionally, he provided financial support which included sending Joseph to college. However, it was recently reported that Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to support Joseph after he graduated from college.
Congratulations Joseph! Four years of hard work studying business at Pepperdine and today is your big day! You have earned all of the celebration and I’m so proud of you. I love you! pic.twitter.com/aRuJzGzAWi
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) April 27, 2019
Unwaxed Podcast invited Joseph in as a guest. He spoke of his perspective on the matter of being left high and dry, now that he has graduated. “I’m really grateful that my dad helped me get through college. “But right when college was done, it was just like, ‘You go. You’re on your own.’ I was like, ‘Oh, s**t’,” said Joseph.
Arnold Schwarzenegger wants his son to pay his own bills
Joseph was now facing a dilemma of bills that he had to pay himself. So, he decided to take an internship at ARIA Real Estate firm in Los Angeles. Joseph said: “I needed a job, and I was not getting any of the acting roles that I thought I was going to get,” he said. “I was like, ‘I need to do something’, so I started interning at this real estate company.”
Initially, this internship was not meant to be the start of a new career. However, Joseph realized he was pretty good at selling houses, so he eventually got his license to legally sell and rent apartments and houses.
Joseph dreams of following in his father’s footsteps
The Austrian Actor’s son might be good at selling houses. But he has dreams of becoming an actor. Like father, like son, they say.
“I just love having a goal and then going for it,” Joseph said. “With acting, I know that my goal is to be a reputable actor and win some awards.”
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Sources
- “Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to financially support to his son after he graduated from college.” VT. Asiya Ali. July 14, 2022.
- “Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals The Truth About His Secret Son, Joseph Baena.” Goal Cast. Shaoni Das