Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger stop supporting his son financially?

The Schwarzenegger method?
He had to do it all by himself
A life lesson
Internship as a real estate agent
No help from his father, not even in Hollywood
Child born outside of marriage
His wife was also expecting a child
Schwarzenegger provided for everything
The other children
Patrick's reaction
The separation from Maria Shriver
A very difficult time for the whole family
Divorce 10 years later
The Schwarzenegger method?

Recently, several international newspapers and weeklies have reported curious news concerning one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's sons, Joseph Baena. Apparently, the famous dad has decided to stop supporting the boy financially after graduation. But why did he make this decision?

"You're on your own"

Sometimes even celebrities with multimillion-dollar net worths act in completely unexpected ways with their children. In this case, according to Joseph in The Mirror, Arnold Schwarzenegger would have told the boy once he finished university: "you're on your own."

He had to do it all by himself

They were four simple words that meant a lot to Joseph Baena, born in 1997. From that moment on, he would have to do everything by himself, without the financial help of his father.

Photo: @joebaena / Instagram

A life lesson

The method used by the 'Terminator' can be interpreted as not wanting to "spoil" the child, to make him understand the value of money, and especially the dollars earned with one's work.

Photo: @joebaena / Instagram

Internship as a real estate agent

Joseph Baena wasted no time. Although his aspiration was to become an actor like his father, he did something else after graduating from Pepperdine University with a degree in Business. The young man jumped at the opportunity to become an intern at a real estate agency.

"I needed a job"

The position has allowed him to support himself and divide his life between auditions and the gym, another passion he inherited from his father. As reported by The Mirror, Baena said: "I needed a job, and I was not getting any of the acting roles that I thought I was going to get."

No help from his father, not even in Hollywood

In an interview about his acting career, he told Us Weekly: "My dad is old school, he doesn’t believe in handouts. He believes hard work pays off, and so do I. I love the word honor, and I’m very prideful in the sense that, if I use my dad’s contacts or ask him for favors, I wonder what honor is that gonna bring me?"

Child born outside of marriage

Joseph Baena is one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's five children. He was born out of wedlock in 1997. His mother is Mildred Patricia Baena, and she was the domestic worker at the Schwarzenegger household at the time.

His wife was also expecting a child

Schwarzenegger admitted in 2011 that he had cheated, per ABC News. The famous actor had been married to Maria Shriver since 1986 when he was unfaithful to her. In fact, she was also pregnant at the time - with their fourth child, Christopher.

Schwarzenegger provided for everything

From the moment he learned about the existence of his son, Schwarzenegger gave Joseph everything he needed. He got a home and a stable economic situation to create a future for himself.

The other children

His other children with Maria Shriver are Katherine Eunice, born December 1989, Christina Maria Aurelia, born July 1991, Patrick Arnold, born September 1993, and the aforementioned Christopher Sargent, born in September 1997.

Patrick's reaction

After his father confessed he had cheated, his third son with Maria, Patrick, shared his reaction on Twitter: "I love my family till death do us part." Patrick was 17 at the time.

"I will always love my family!"

His older sister Katherine did the same. She tweeted: "This is definitely not easy but I appreciate your love and support as I begin to heal and move forward in life. I will always love my family!"

The separation from Maria Shriver

In any case, Schwarzenegger's declaration of having an illegitimate child was experienced as a great scandal in the family circle. It was a blow that Maria Shriver was unable to bear - so much so that she asked for a separation in the same year.

A very difficult time for the whole family

After the statements of her then-husband Arnold, she said: "This is a painful and heartbreaking time. As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect, and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal."

Divorce 10 years later

The actual divorce between Schwarzenegger and Shriver wouldn't be signed until 10 years after the famous scandal, in December 2021. In the meantime, since 2012, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been romantically linked to Heather Milligan, a physiotherapist 28 years his junior.

 

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