Gina Heslop
Joseph Baena, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred “Patty” Baena, is happy to have Schwarzenegger as his father, even though his step-siblings blame him for breaking up their family. Baena, who is 26 years old, still shares a strong bond with Schwarzenegger and supports him.
Baena’s existence was kept secret for the first 14 years of his life. He only found out that Schwarzenegger was his dad when he was 13.
Baena remembers the day vividly when his mom told him about his father. It was a tough time for him, especially with all the media attention.
Schwarzenegger supported Baena and his mom secretly, while his wife Maria Shriver didn’t know about them. But as Baena grew older, he started to look more like his father, and the secret couldn’t stay hidden.
In his book “Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story,” Schwarzenegger talked about his affair and how he asked his children for forgiveness. His marriage with Shriver ended in 2021.
Now, Baena is following in his father’s footsteps as an actor and bodybuilder. He and Schwarzenegger bond over fitness, and Schwarzenegger has been a mentor to him. Baena believes in hard work and doesn’t want to rely on his father’s fame to succeed in his career.
Despite their bond, Baena’s step-siblings don’t seem to accept him fully. At events, Baena often feels left out, and he’s sometimes excluded from family photos. But fans support him and think it’s unfair how he’s treated by his siblings.
Schwarzenegger admits that what he did was wrong, but he loves Baena and is proud of the man he has become. He wants Baena to know that he is welcome in the world and that he is loved.
