Arnold Schwarzenegger's Son Joseph Baena Recalls Media Frenzy After News Broke the Actor Was His Dad
08.02.2022 - 21:47
/ etonline.com
Arnold Schwarzenegger is his father. The 24-year-old son of Schwarzenegger and his former housekeeper, Mildred Baena, covers the March issue of , and opens up about when his paternity became public knowledge in 2011.«I remember the day very vividly. I was in the eighth grade.
Fifth or sixth period. And I get called out of class to leave,» Baena says. «And my mom’s there, and she’s like, 'We gotta go — everyone is finding out about you and who your father is.'»«I’m 13,» he adds.
«Your body’s transforming; your mind is transforming. And now my life transformed before my eyes.»Amid the media frenzy, mother and son drove to Texas to hide out with relatives.«She was really the only person I had, and I was really the only person that she had,» Baena explains of his mom. «No one knew, and everyone wanted the details.
We had each other’s backs.»As he entered high school, Baena says that «the trust factor became really difficult» when it came to building relationships. He also struggled to find himself, and was cut from the basketball and soccer teams, before discovering swimming, at which he thrived. His success in swimming prompted an interest in fitness, something he bonded over with his famous dad. Schwarzenegger even gifted the then-teen the book he co-wrote, .«Even though I could call him anytime, I was too proud,» Baena says.
«I went straight to the book. I wanted to figure it out myself.»Around Baena's 18th birthday, the father-son duo began training together. «I was so nervous,» Baena admits.