Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger stop supporting his son financially?

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?

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."

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

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

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.

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."

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?"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!"

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.

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."

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.