Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Reveals Struggles Bonding With His Father
Recently, Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, Joseph Baena, opened up about their relationship, revealing the struggles he faced in life trying to bond with his father.
This article is more than 2 years old
The limelight takes a heavy toll on celebrities. While scandal is no stranger to the celebrity world and lifestyle, no story might be as bizarre and heartwarming as that concerning Hollywood strong man, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his son, Joseph Baena. While the 24-year-old actor and realtor may be a dead ringer for his father, the two share a tragic history, only finding out about one another years after Joseph’s birth. But amidst the drama and affair, the father-son duo seem to share a special bond. Recently, Baena opened up about their relationship, revealing the struggles he faced in life trying to bond with his father.
Recently appearing on the Unwaxed podcast hosted by sisters Sophia and Sistine Stallone, Joseph Baena discussed his famous dad, dating, and sharing the same genes that graced his father with a physically pristine body. While speaking fondly of his relationship with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joseph Baena revealed that it wasn’t always fun and games between the two. “I also have to point out that with my relationship with my dad it took a little while for me and him to get really close and just [feel] like I can joke around with him and talk about anything.”
To further detail the father-son relationship, Baena alluded to the pressure of building a relationship with his world-renowned father saying, “I grew up with my mom and I was always nervous and I didn’t want him to think bad of me and be like, ‘What the heck is this guy doing? He’s just partying all the time. Now it’s awesome. I’m so close to my dad and we joke about everything.”.
Being born just a few days after Arnold Schwarzenegger’s other son in 1997, Joseph was the result of an affair between Arnie and the family’s maid of twenty-plus years. And apparently, Arnold wasn’t made aware of Joseph being his for years to come. In what became a controversial and widely publicized topic, Schwarzenegger’s longtime wife, Maria Shriver, filed for divorce as news of the scandal broke headlines. While the father and son duo have been very open about developing their relationship, reports suggest that Baena’s half-siblings shared with Schwarzenegger don’t necessarily hold their half-brother to the same regard their father does, surely putting a damper on their relationship in some ways.
But even amid a public scandal, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his son have gone against odds building a close relationship with one another. Baena is often found sharing photos of himself and his Predator father on his Instagram account. And it seems Baena isn’t the only one showing off the two’s relationship. Arnie similarly can be found sharing photos of the duo together. Last October, Schwarzenegger celebrated his son’s birthday with a trio of photos of time spent together.
As the budding relationship develops between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joseph Baena, the son is often met with questions of whether or not he plans to change his last name. When the question was brought up by the Stallones on his recent podcast interview, Baena spoke about the matter again, saying, “I never had the Schwarzenegger name. I think really the thing is that I haven’t focused on changing it,” he explained. “I’m doing my own thing. I haven’t thought of it that much. I have a last name already. I’m already doing so much and succeeding and moving forward with my goals. That’s the last thing on my mind.”
Being a dead ringer for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joseph Baena has taken some cues from his famous Dad as he sets out to make a career in film. Recently, Baena broke the news that he will be making his acting debut in an upcoming film, Lava. The Britflix action thriller focuses on a group of vacationers meddling where they shouldn’t be. After messing around with folklore, their vacation is turned upside down. Still tightly under wraps, the film has no release date. In even fresher news, the 24-year-old bodybuilder is reportedly set to star in three other upcoming films, Chariot, Bully High, and Encounters.
