Arnold Schwarzenegger has opened up about his former affair with the family housekeeper that ended his 25-year marriage.
During his marriage to Maria Shriver, the bodybuilder-turned-action hero had an extramarital tryst with his housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena, which resulted in the birth of his son, Joseph Baena, in 1997.
The Terminator star initially believed that Joseph - who was born five days after Schwarzenegger welcomed son Christopher with Shriver - was the son of Mildred's husband.
However, he soon realized that the now-26-year-old was his, and disclosed it to his wife during a marriage counseling session in 2011.
The scandalous revelation led to the end of Schwarzenegger's two-decades-long marriage to the 67-year-old journalist in 2021.
At the time, the former couple released a statement which read: "We are continuing to parent our four children together. They are the light and center of both of our lives."
Now, in a revealing interview published in PEOPLE magazine on Sunday (October 1), the 76-year-old Hollywood icon - known for his candid demeanor - reflected on the tumultuous period in his life.
He emphasized that there had been no feud or dramatic altercation leading to the end of his marriage with Shriver. Instead, he recognized the affair's impact on their relationship and family, stating that it was his "f**k up".
Schwarzenegger revealed that even though it was his mistake that ended his nuptials with the former First Lady of California, he still has a profound love for her.
"My chapter with Maria will continue on forever," he added. "Even though it’s a different relationship, there’s no reason for me to feel anything other than love for her."
In addition to this, Schwarzenegger emphasized that the former couple - who are parents to Katherine, 33, Christina, 31, Patrick, 30, and Christopher, 26 - prioritized their children's well-being throughout their turbulent times.
"We always made it very clear that the kids should not suffer because of [the affair]," he shared. "And she has her things, her relationship, I have mine [with Heather Milligan], but we always communicate about the kids, about the holidays, about birthday parties and Mother's Day parties and Christmas."
Schwarzenegger previously addressed his affair in his Netflix documentary titled: Arnold - which was released earlier this year.
In his three-part docuseries, the former California governor said his "heart stopped" when Shriver brought up rumors about Joseph being his son in 2011.
"I thought my heart stopped. And then I told the truth. 'Yes Maria, Joseph is my son'. She was obviously crushed by that," he said, as cited by The Independent.
The Commando actor described the affair as being his "biggest failure" in life and something he will have to "live with" for the rest of it too.
"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," he added.
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