Joseph, Schwarzenegger’s Secret Child With the Housekeeper, Wants to Make It on His Own in Hollywood

42% of births occur outside of marriage. In some countries, like France, this percentage can be as high as 60%. Joseph Baena grew up in California and he found out that he was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son when he was 13 years old. True family needs no marriage certificates to form strong bonds and here’s the story of how Joseph wants to make a name for himself in Hollywood 100% on his own, without being in his father’s shadow.

When Joseph was nearing his teenage years, his whole life unfolded in front of him.

Mildred Baena worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s family as a housekeeper for the better part of 2 decades, before leaving in 2011. When asked about the extramarital affair, Schwarzenegger said he thinks about it now and then and says that, “I can beat myself up as much as I want — it’s not gonna change the situation. I don’t need any time to reflect when I know it was a major, major screwup. So the key thing is, how do you move forward? How do you have a great relationship with your kids?”

Arnold is fulfilling his responsibility and taking care of Joseph and his mother — he even supported his son’s education.

Joseph will never forget the day he found out Arnold was his father.

Joseph Baena, now 25 years old, vividly remembers the day he heard the big news. “I was in 8th grade. 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.’”

News trucks swarmed the house. “I’m 13, my body’s transforming, my mind is transforming. And now my life transformed before my eyes.”

It takes real strength to live your life without always looking back at what your father has achieved.

Baena is a bodybuilder, actor, fitness model, and realtor — a man of many talents. He has a couple of acting roles under his belt and was recently cast in the Dancing with the Stars show. He doesn’t believe in handouts and takes great pride in not using his father’s contacts to advance in the industry.

Joseph feels pressure to live up to his famous father, he shared “there’s a lot of people out there with very accomplished parents... and it’s scary. It’s scary to get compared to these giants, and to have the feeling like you need to live up to these expectations.” However, he knows he doesn’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations, but his own.

Arnold and Joseph have a father-son bond that could make many of us jealous.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joseph have a tight-knit relationship, and one quick look at their socials confirms this. When they’re not training together at Gold’s Gym, they’re biking together. Arnold is a proud dad and believes Joseph is a fantastic son and a great training partner. Birthday wishes are always paired with compliments that every child should hear from their parents.

“Happy birthday Joseph! Watching you graduate from college this year and seeing you follow your passions has been amazing. You are a fantastic son, and I can’t wait for our next training session. I love you,” Arnold shared.

What’s the best thing you’ve learned from your father? If you could be a dad for a day, what’s the first thing you’d do for your kids?