Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s secret son Joseph Baena has revealed why he decided to not to take his father’s famous surname.
Here’s The Gist
The actor, 26, is the love child of his famous dad and their family housekeeper Mildred Baena, with Joseph himself only finding out the identity of his father when he was 13-year-old.
When did Joseph Baena find out Arnold was his father?
Joseph Baena’s world was rocked in 2010, aged 13 when it was revealed his dad was the famous actor turned politician. Schwarzenegger and his housekeeper, Mildred Baena had an affair behind the back of his wife, Maria Shriver.
But while he was completely unaware for 13 years, Joseph, now 26, has a close relationship with his famous dad and even shares the same interests.
Why doesn’t Joseph Baena have his fathers last name?
Appearing on Good Morning Britain alongside hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls for his first ever UK live interview, Joseph revealed why he ditched the Schwarzenegger surname.
Joseph explained: ‘Yeah that’s a good question. I think the main thing is that I am trying to do things on my own and pursue my career with my will, my determination and my work ethic. It’s just doing everything through me.
‘My family is very big about supporting from afar and not being so hands on. I really appreciate that and I think it is really important growing up as a man to do things on your own and to figure it out.
‘So that’s what I’ve been doing and it’s been working so far. I’ve been working really hard.’
In 2011, it was revealed that Arnold had secretly fathered a child with Mildred while she was working as a housekeeper for the Schwarzenegger family back in the 1990s.
At the time the actor was married to journalist Maria Shriver. They’d welcomed sons Patrick, 28, Chris, 24, and daughters Katherine, 32, and Christina, 30, during the span of their relationship.
But July of 2011, Arnold’s then-wife Maria filed for divorce after 25 years of marriage. In December 2021, the former couple’s divorce was officially finalized.
He Was Shocked to Learned The News on Netflix
Reflecting back on the initial shock of finding out that Arnie was his father a year on from the Netflix documentary Arnold where his Hollywood father admitted that the infidelity tore his family apart, he said: ‘As a kid you don’t really question too much. It’s just how it is.
‘For me, I love my father. He is an amazing man. I love my mother, she is an amazing woman. So yeah, I’m just really happy and honoured to be a part of this family.’
Arnie, famous for bodybuilding and acting has passed his love of the gym and cinema onto Joseph who is making a name for himself as a Hollywood actor.
