BRENTWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken of the heartstopping time when his ex-wife Maria Shriver asked him about his affair with their housekeeper, Mildred Baena. The former governor of California also has a child with Mildred named Joseph Baena, who was born in 1997.
A documentary titled ‘Arnold’ is releasing on Netflix on June 7, which will give a glimpse into his life as an athlete, as an actor, and as an American. In the three-part series, the 75-year-old also mentions the 2011 confrontation when he had to come clean to Shriver.
‘She was obviously crushed’
At the time, the politician and his former wife were undergoing marriage counseling. ‘The Terminator’ actor shared, as per The Sun, “One day, the counselor said, ‘Today Maria wants to be very specific about something. She wants to know if you’re the father of Joseph’. I thought my heart stopped. And then I told the truth. ‘Yes, Maria. Joseph is my son’. She was obviously crushed by that.”
Schwarzenegger also went on to share in the documentary that he initially thought Joseph was fathered by Mildred’s then-husband, Rogelio. “In the beginning, I really didn’t know, but the older he got, the more it became clear to me. It was then just a matter of, ‘How do you keep this quiet?’” he noted.
‘Everyone had to suffer’
The revelation cost Schwarzenegger his marriage to Shriver as the two separated in 2011 after tying the knot in 1986 and welcoming four children together. He said, “I have caused enough pain for my family, because of my f***-up. Everyone had to suffer. Maria had to suffer, the kids had to suffer, Joseph, his mother, everyone. I’m going to have to live with that for the rest of my life.”
The ‘Predator’ star also added, “People will remember my successes and they will also remember my failures. I’ve had failures in my career but this was a whole new dimension of failure. I am very happy within this sad story that Maria and I were able to raise the kids well. I think there’s nothing more important than to have a good partner by your side and, every step of the way, Maria was exactly that.”
Where is Mildred Baena now?
As per reports, soon after her son Joseph’s birth, Mildred got separated from her husband. However, Schwarzenegger did not leave her and their son on their own as he purchased a four-bedroom house with a pool for them in California. It is believed she still lives in that house.
In 2019, Baena was featured on her son’s Instagram post as he graduated from Pepperdine University. Posting a series of pictures from his graduation ceremony, which included separate photos of him with his famous father as well as his mother, he wrote, “Some of the best times of my life are because of this school and the people in these pictures.”
The 25-year-old actor added, “I am so incredibly grateful to have the privilege to study at and graduate from such a beautiful and high-caliber school. I now have my degree in business administration and with that, I believe this is only the beginning of a new road. Let’s see where it takes us!”
Though the former maid prefers to be out of the limelight, his son makes sure to give updates about her. In 2017, Joseph shared with his Instagram followers that he was “so dang proud of my momma! Today she graduated culinary school and I could be happier for her as she continues to live out her dreams as a chef! 💕Next stop...#TopChef #IronChef.”
