Divorcé Arnold Schwarzenegger Fathered Look-Alike Love Child Who Follows Dad’s Footsteps Yet Refused His Name

Arnold Schwarzenegger could not deny the paternity of his son, Joseph Baena, because the boy was his spitting image. The star's son refused to take Arnold's last name but followed in his career footsteps.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and his first wife, Maria Shriver, married in 1986. During their marriage, the couple welcomed four children, Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher Schwarzenegger.

Arnold and Shriver raised their brood together until they went their separate ways in 2011. Sadly, the "Terminator" actor cheated on his wife while they were married and fathered another child, Joseph Baena.

The child's mother was Arnold and his wife's housekeeper, Mildred Baena. The star kept the secret about his other child for years, and in 2011, Mildred's husband, Rogelio Baena, revealed he'd thought the offspring was his.

He told the Mirror that he only found the truth after his sister saw it during a news coverage story. Rogelio confessed that he felt shocked, betrayed, and angry and recalled how Arnold gave him "a big Judas hug" at Joseph's christening.

The embrace allegedly came after the star congratulated Rogelio, telling him he must feel proud. Joseph's father told the publication that it was an awful way to discover that the boy he thought was his son wasn't.

He shared that all he could think about was Joseph and how he was coping and described the incident as a "terrible thing" to have happened to a young boy. In 2014, the Los Angeles Times revealed how Shriver and Arnold separated after she discovered he'd fathered a child over a decade ago.

Mildred had been a longtime part of the family's household when Shriver discovered the truth. Earlier in 2014, the actress moved from the Brentwood mansion she'd shared with Arnold after he acknowledged paternity.

Mildred had worked for Arnold's family for two decades before retiring in January 2014. In a statement to The Times, the actor confessed that after he left the governor's office, he came clean to his wife.

The former California Governor said he understood and deserved his friends and family's disappointment and anger. He took accountability for his actions in the matter by stating:

“There are no excuses, and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children, and my family. I am truly sorry."

Arnold asked the media to respect his wife and children as they dealt with the situation. He admitted that he deserved their criticism and attention but noted that his family didn't.

In February 2022, Joseph spoke to Men's Health and recalled when the truth came out about who his birth father was. He said he was in the eighth grade attending the fifth or sixth period when he got called out of class.

Joseph, 13 at the time, remembered his mother waiting for him and telling him they had to leave because people were finding out about him and who his father was. At home, news vans stood by, and the family was hounded by photographers, with Arnold's son saying:

"Your body's transforming; your mind is transforming. And now my life transformed before my eyes."

Mildred and her son hid with relatives in Texas to escape the reporters. Joseph recalled how his mother was the only person he had and vice versa because no one knew the truth, and people wanted details.

Now that he knew who his father was, it was undeniable how the two resembled each other. In 2022, Joseph was no longer a scared and confused teenager but a grown man.

Joseph - Arnold's Son Who Resembles the Star and Followed in His Footsteps

The resemblance Jospeh had to Arnold was quite evident in the former's Instagram photos. In January 2022, the star's son uploaded an image of him showing off his physique, and it was clear that it was one of the traits he shared with his famous father.

Arnold's son also featured on the cover of Men's Health in February 2022, showing how he'd earned fame like his father. It was evident that the actor's son was keen on bodybuilding as he posed with a large chain in another post.

In March 2022, Joseph revealed that he was still close to his mother as he wished her a happy birthday alongside a throwback photo of him as a child. Joseph said Mildred motivated, inspired, and pushed him daily to chase his dreams and be successful.

Besides loving the gym like his father, Joseph followed in Arnold's career footsteps. In 2021, he revealed in an Instagram post, where he appeared shirtless, that he was filming the movie "Lava!"

Fans were thrilled with one person joking about Joseph starring in the latest installment of "Predator", just like Arnold. Another person even referenced a line from the original movie saying, "Get the choppa".

The star's son explained that the film was a "fun horror thriller". He revealed that the plot was some girl traveling to Hawaii where they meet a group of boys who are freedivers, and they go on a trip where chaos ensures.

During Joseph's Men's Health interview, he revealed that his father's acting advice was to "do the reps". He initially thought it was funny advice as he thought the star was talking about working out.

However, as time went by and he got more experience, the young man understood the wisdom in his father's statement. He realized acting was "like alchemy", like when one built their body and put in the time.

Joseph learned that he had to get things done, and if a scene had 20 pages of dialogue, he said them repeatedly with an acting coach, a scene partner, or by himself until they stuck. He became so good that he could do any chore, like washing dishes, and still be able to say the lines.

Joseph understood that, just like the gym, repeating his work was the price he paid for success. The young star also learned that the gym could be a "crucible for transformation".

He became serious about weight lifting while in college and acquired the mentality needed for bodybuilding. Arnold's son knew who could shape his body in whatever way.

His success as a swimmer taught him that it required discipline and similar efforts to lead him to shred down, build up, or combine both. He explained that he made massive progress during his college years.

Besides bodybuilding and acting, Joseph also worked as a real estate agent, as seen in one of his Instagram posts where he sold a California home to one of his clients. His Instagram biography revealed he worked for Aria Properties.

Even though Arnold hid Joseph for years, he's since built a bond with the boy. On October 2, 2016, the action actor shared a cute photo of him and his son having beers and wished the boy a happy birthday noting how proud he was of him.

Joseph [Baena], the youngest of Arnold's [Schwarzenegger] five children, explained that despite not using his father's last name, the actor still significantly influenced his career and life.

On the same date in 2021, Arnold shared three images of him having drinks with his son at a restaurant, biking together, and posing in front of a mural of his bodybuilding days. He once again wished the young man a happy birthday and revealed how proud he was of Joseph for nailing his gym pursuits, his real estate career, and acting!

Even though Joseph followed a similar career and life path as his famous father, one thing that made them different stood out. The young man made sure he stood his ground.

Making It in Life through His Own Merits

In 2021, Joseph confessed to E! News that one thing he ensured was that he carved his life path. The star revealed that it was one of the reasons he didn't use his father's famous last name, adding:

"That's just not my main priority at the moment, so I'm just focused on building myself up and building my career in acting and real estate and just focusing on that right now."

Despite loving the gym as much as his father, Joseph also had no interest in competing in physique competitions. He preferred allowing his physique to be athletic and "approachable" compared to other bodybuilders.

The star's son was more of a wide receiver than an offensive lineman. His Instagram account, where he showed off his body and exercises, was more about living the happiest life than bigorexia.

Joseph, the youngest of Arnold's five children, explained that despite not using his father's last name, the actor still significantly influenced his career and life. Speaking to E! News, he said:

"I mean, my dad is a stallion. He's a man's man, I like to think, and I look up to him a lot."

The former governor's son acknowledged how his father had influenced a lot of things with his acting ambitions, fitness, physique, and all the other things he was doing. In September 2022, Arnold's son was 24 going on 25.