Arnold Schwarzenegger made a red carpet appearance with his children, showing the rift between his children from Maria Shriver and his lovechild.
The actor’s children’s relationship was reportedly explained.
Arnold often revealed how he treated his look-alike son, Joseph, whom he had with his one-time housekeeper.
In May 2023, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, made a red carpet appearance surrounded by his children. His daughters, Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, sandwiched their father with the former’s husband, Chris Pratt, alongside her.
The family went out to support Arnold for the premiere of his new show, “FUBAR.” However, what was strange was that his look-a-like illegitimate son, Joseph “Joe” Baena, 25, who also came out to support his father appeared alone in a photo on the red carpet.
Arnold had five children, and he was close to all of them. Four of his children, including Christina and Katherine, were from his marriage to Maria Shriver. At the same time, Joe was their half-sibling from his affair with their former housekeeper, Mildred Baena.
Judging by the images, the actor’s other children seemed to want nothing to do with his love child. Joe, a bodybuilder like his famous father, shared a picture of him alone at the Netflix premiere.
The young man said he gave his father’s new show “two thumbs up” and revealed he’d had a fantastic time that night. Arnold’s son described the series as action-packed and hilarious, vowing those who watched it would be left on the edge of their seats.
A follower of his page said, “It’s disgusting how you are treated man by your own blood.” The social media user lamented how it wasn’t right that he was “completely ignored” for something out of his control.
The person speculated that the snub was maybe “racial hostility” but urged Joe to use it to push him. The follower complained about Joe’s siblings being at the same premiere but taking a photo together and avoiding him altogether.
Someone else felt it was a shame to see the separation but was pleased that Arnold loved his children equally. However, the follower felt the actor loved Joe a “little more” because he was walking in his career footsteps, while another person said:
“Joe is Arnold’s true legacy, and his rich lazy kids are clearly butthurt. Keep on trucking Joe.”
Another person said they started following Joe on Instagram to give him the support his “snobby siblings choose not to” provide. The fan felt he was an excellent example for others as he trained hard, made his way without using his father’s last name, had a job, and supported and looked up to Arnold.
The person felt Joe was an exemplary son. Another follower shared that the young man was admirable and that Katharine, who called herself a “Christian,” was not supposed to treat him that way because it wasn’t “Christlike,” adding:
“Shame on her.”
An Instagram user said Joe was “so loved” and was the exact young version of his father. The person felt they could see how others could be jealous and encouraged Arnold’s son to keep his chin up before asking God to bless him.
A fan thought Joe was a great person and that it was a “shame” his siblings mistreated him for something he couldn’t control. The star’s son didn’t respond to the comments or delete them.
Monica Barbaro appeared as Arnold’s daughter in “FUBAR” as he played the role of an almost-retired CIA operative, with Joe revealing on the red carpet that it was “cute” seeing his father’s vulnerable and fatherly side, and he loved it.
The celebrity’s son shared that his father had taught him to put “the reps” in and practice continuously. Joe was set to feature alongside Morgan Freeman in an action film called “Gunner” in 2023.
What Kind of Relationship Does Arnold’s Children with Shriver Have with Joe?
According to a source, Arnold’s children with Shriver allegedly didn’t love Joe. The insider felt it was a shame because the young man with a stint on “Dancing with the Stars” was a good child, and the actor always treated him fairly like his other children.
However, Arnold’s other children reportedly punished Joe for their father’s affair. According to witnesses, while Shriver’s children went home, the star’s child born outside of marriage stayed behind at the after-party after the premiere of “FUBAR” at The Grove in Los Angeles.
The insider shared how close the “Terminator” star was to Joe, and he’d brought him along to several events. The source felt the “snubbing” wasn’t fair, but it was understandable because he was a product of something that should not have happened.
Another insider claimed the celebrity’s other children treated the affair with class and respect. However, someone who worked with the family said Katherine and Christina had no relationship with Joe, while their brothers, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25, were closer to him.
A source said eight years later, everyone was still finding their way through the nightmare, and they’d done well in building a new normal. Someone else shared that the family was working on a private relationship with Joe before making a public one.
Joe allegedly yearned to have a connection with his half-siblings. On April 10, 2023, National Siblings Day, Katherine shared Instagram images of herself with her three siblings and revealed that she loved them.
Followers quickly called her out for the snub against Joe despite him going out of his way to like their photos and follow them on social media. The person felt Arnold’s children liked his pictures except those featuring Joe.
The alleged snub was strange because Joe grew up around his siblings as he visited the family from 1986 until 2003 at their Pacific Palisades mansion. Someone who knew Katharine felt there wasn’t a reason for her to have a relationship with her half-brother since their father had kept who he was a secret for years.
The affair damaged, destroyed, and shamed Katherine’s family, so the source couldn’t blame her for not embracing the “living reminder” of it. Shriver’s children also celebrated special occasions without Joe.
In September 2021, Patrick’s parents and siblings gathered together without Joe to celebrate his birthday. When Christopher celebrated his birthday the year before, Shriver, Arnold, and some of his siblings were around, except his half-brother.
In August 2020, Patrick shared an Instagram picture of his father’s birthday, which excluded his son born outside of marriage. Although he didn’t feature in family pictures, Arnold allegedly loved Joe so much that he wanted to include him in one of his businesses.
How Does Arnold Treat His Son Joe?
Since he found out that Arnold was his father, Joe has built a loving relationship with the actor. For 15 years, the star hid that he was Joe’s father until, in 2011, Mildred alleged her son’s father was her then-husband, Rogelio Baena.
Shriver became suspicious when Joe started looking like Arnold, and she asked Mildred, who cried as she confessed the truth. The actress asked the housekeeper not to quit immediately, and during the couple’s counseling, she confronted Arnold, leading to the end of their 25-year marriage.
In 2015, Arnold admitted that the whole situation was tough on him, his children, and his family. However, it had happened, and they now had to figure it out, which included him being a mentor to Joe.
Joe frequently shared Instagram images and videos of him working out. A family source said the young man adored the actor and wanted to be like him, and they trained together at Los Angeles’ Gold’s Gym.
Arnold allegedly wanted to include his son in his The Arnold Classic Worldwide sports contest. Another source denied that Joe was joining his father’s business, but the star loved it when all his children shared his passions, including fitness.
The celebrity paid for his son’s schooling at Pepperdine University and proudly showed him off when he graduated in April 2019 with a degree in business. The star confessed that he loved Joe, causing him to reply by sharing his love for his father.
However, his [Joseph “Joe” Baena] father [Arnold Schwarzenegger] was happy and proud of him and his dancing.
In July 2021, the father-son duo appeared at a restaurant celebrating Arnold’s birthday. Joe was born on October 2, 1997, and his paternity was kept a secret until he was seven or eight and started looking like his father.
Arnold revealed in 2012 that he realized the boy was his child when he started resembling him. In 2022, Joe shared how close they’d become, being able to joke and talk about anything, but it had taken a while.
Now the pair gym together, and he’s recreated some of his father’s famous muscle poses on Instagram, the star’s son called him the best training partner. When he turned 24 in 2021, Arnold proudly shared three Twitter photos of them bonding.
Besides bodybuilding and working as a real estate agent, Joe acted, with his first movie, “Bully High,” coming out in 2021. While starring in “Dancing With the Stars,” Joe said his father wouldn’t partake in the show unless his dance partner were also Daniella Karagach
However, his father was happy and proud of him and his dancing. He said he loved Arnold and described him as the most intelligent and best man he could think of, and being compared to him was amazing.
