Arnold Schwarzenegger has accomplished so much in his life, but is his greatest achievement being a father? Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver raised four children, and later, it would be revealed that "The Terminator" actor fathered a fifth child out of wedlock.
Schwarzenegger appears to be on excellent terms with all of his kids. Although they may have been raised differently, specifically Joseph Baena, whose paternity was initially a secret, they have bonded well with their dad. This is how the actor raised his children, who they are, and what fans should know about them and their relationship with their famous dad…
Who Are Arnold Schwarzenegger's Children?
We mentioned briefly that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a child out of wedlock, but he also had four children during his marriage with his longtime wife, Maria Shriver; two sons and two daughters. Their firstborn was Katherine Schwarzenegger, who was born in 1989.
Their second child was another daughter, Christina Schwarzenegger, who was born in 1991. While her career focuses on other projects, she has also worked in the entertainment industry as an executive producer.
Their third-born child is Patrick Schwarzenegger, who, like his father, has become an actor (his relationship history has also been a topic of much discussion). He was born in 1993. And Arnold's last child with Shriver is Christopher, who is perhaps the most private. He was born in 1997.
The most notable difference is how Arnold Schwarzenegger's children were raised compared to Joseph Baena (at least in his childhood). Baena is his son from a relationship with the family's housekeeper, Mildred Baena, and he was born less than a month after his half-brother, Christopher.
His paternity was kept a secret for a long time, but as Joseph aged, it became more apparent who his father was. The father and son appear to have bonded more in recent years, with Joseph even accompanying his dad to the premier of the Netflix series FUBAR. In 2023, a source commented on Schwarzenegger and Baena's relationship, saying they were "very close."
But it's not all good news, as they added: "But, to be honest, the other kids don't love Joe. It's a shame as he's a really good kid, and Arnold has always treated him like all his other kids — very fairly. But for whatever reason, the other kids take [the affair] out on Joe."
Does Arnold Schwarzenegger Get Along With His Kids?
Katherine Schwarzenegger is a celebrity in her own right, and as such, she has been more outspoken about her relationship with her parents. She is also their eldest child and has had a lot to say about the great job her parents did to raise her and her siblings.
"I know this sounds crazy, but I really would love to do exactly what they did," she said of how her parents raised her and how she and Chris Pratt will raise their children (via Daily Mail).
"I look back on how much of my life my parents kept private, and I have a lot of respect for it. I think they kept a lot of their relationship private. They kept us kids private, you know. They didn't take us to red carpets. They didn't have us parading around in front of everybody."
She also commented on the work ethic her parents instilled in her, saying that one of their focuses was to ensure they "work really hard and to be really good people and to leave the world a better place."
Arnold Schwarzenegger is incredibly close to his daughters, and while Christina is not as open as her sister, her dad has paid tribute to her on social media. On her 30th birthday, he took to social media to reflect on their relationship and praised her for all of her accomplishments.
"I am so proud of you, from your unbelievable work on enlightening documentaries to giving back by helping Special Olympics to your fantastic artwork that blows mine out of the water," he wrote. "I enjoy nothing more than hanging out with you, whether we are training together or traveling the world. You will always be my little Leo, and I love you!"
Patrick has also spoken about his parents. "Both my parents are proud of me," he said in an interview with Today in 2020 (via People). "It's pretty surreal 'cause I remember growing up and going to set with [my dad], and it was like my favorite activity. He's really proud of me, and they're so supportive. I couldn't ask for a better parent duo."
Christopher and Joseph are in their middle twenties, and while Christopher has shied away from the limelight, Joseph has embraced it. "I'm so close to my dad, and we joke about everything," Joseph said (via E! News). "He always wants to hear about the drama. He's like, 'Tell me everything! Tell me the drama. Tell me about these girls.'"
Does Arnold Schwarzenegger Have Different Rules For Boys And Girls?
There is no evidence to suggest that Arnold Schwarzenegger outright favors his daughters over his sons, and his relationships with each of his children are different. Some of his kids are more famous than others, meaning they are more willing to speak about their upbringing and give interviews about their lives.
This, in turn, makes people more familiar with who they are, and, arguably, his two most famous children are Patrick Schwarzenegger and Katherine Schwarzenegger.
Speaking of Patrick, he and his mother, Maria Shriver, sat down for an interview with Taylor Lautner for his podcast The Squeeze (via Essentially Sports). In it, Shriver commented on how they raised their sons.
"Patrick's dad and I raised the kids in a really private way, and I always really encourage them to talk. I really wanted boys who were empathetic and who felt that they could talk about their feelings," she said.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Shriver were married from 1986 until 2021, and despite their split, they have worked hard to be amicable and dedicated co-parents. "I love my wife. She and I are really good friends and very close, and we are very proud of the way we raised our kids," Arnold told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview.
"Even though we had this drama, we did Easter together, Mother's Day together, the Christmases together, all birthdays — everything together. If there's Oscars for how to handle divorce, Maria and I should get it for having the least amount of impact on the kids. The sweetness and kindness you see in them, that's from my wife. The discipline and work ethic is from me."
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