Learning About His Son
In 2o10, a day after Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped being governor, Joseph discovered that he was his father. In 2011, it became publicized that Arnold had had a child with Mildred Patricia “Patty” Baena, who had been working as a household staffer at Schwarzenegger’s home while he was still married to Maria Shriver. Joseph was just 13 years old when the news of who his father is broke.
Learning About His Son
Humble Roots
Joseph, who is half Guatemalan on his mother’s side and half Austrian on his father’s side, had a normal childhood before he learned who his father is. He said: “It was a humble home, and we didn’t have much.” However, his life would change dramatically after the news came out.
Humble Roots
Taking Him Away
Joseph was born just give days after Shriver gave birth to her son Christopher. The entire Schwarzenegger family believed that Joseph was Patty’s son with her husband at the time. However, by the time Joseph was 7 or 8, Schwarzenegger said that he “started looking like me,” and his suspicions about the truth started to creep up on him.
Taking Him Away
He Didn’t Turn Away
Even though the news was truly shocking and life-altering for all, Schwarzenegger did not turn away from his son. He actually reached out to Joseph and though he said that “I grew up with my mom and I was just always nervous and I didn’t want him to think bad of me,” he later shared that “Now it’s like awesome. I’m so close to my dad and we joke around about everything. He always wants to hear about the drama. He’s like, ‘Tell me everything, tell me about the drama, tell me about the girls.’” Schwarzenegger started supporting his son financially, paid for a house for Patty, and also helped pay for Joseph’s education.
He Didn’t Turn Away
Graduation Day
In 2015, Joseph enrolled at Pepperdine University, which is located in Malibu, California. When he graduated in 2019, Schwarzenegger attended his son’s graduation day and posted a sweet and supportive message on his Twitter page. However, after Joseph graduated, he found out that his father would no longer be supporting him financially.
Graduation Day
Pursuing Acting
After he graduated from college, Baena decided to follow in his famous father’s footsteps and tried his hand at the entertainment industry. In 2022, he made his film debut in the film Chariot, and later also appeared in Bully High. He also had a role in TV miniseries Scam Squad and also appeared on the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars.
Pursuing Acting
His Father’s Net Worth
It’s not surprising to hear that Arnold Schwarzenegger is very wealthy, given his successful bodybuilding and acting careers. However, he was able to seriously grow his wealth by investing his money in stocks from early in. He had managed to grow his net worth to a whopping near half billion dollars.
His Father’s Net Worth
Living At Home
It seems like Joseph has a good head on his shoulders especially when it comes to finances. While he was attending Pepperdine, he chose to stay living at home in order to save on rent expenses, and because his mother has a home in Los Angeles, he was able to commute to campus without any issues.
Living At Home
Paid For College
Since discovering that Joseph was his son, Arnold felt a responsibility to help take care of him. This is why he was fully supportive of him up until he graduated from university. However, once Joseph graduated, his father announced that he will no longer be paying for him. While Joseph could be bitter about this, he has said he doesn’t hold a grudge at all.
Paid For College
Growing Up Without A Dad
Although Joseph spent much of his youth without knowing who his real father is, he still had a wonderful childhood. He learned a lot about his Guatemalan heritage and spent time enjoying the culture’s food and music.
Growing Up Without A Dad
The Big Day
Looking back, Baena fully remembers the day when he found out Arnold is his father. He clearly recalls that it happened when he was in 8th grade, and his mother came to pick him up from school in the middle of the day. When she realized that the news would be hitting tabloids, she wanted to make sure that she was the one who told him first.
The Big Day
Working In Real Estate
Following Joseph’s graduation from Pepperdine, he decided to try his hand at work in real estate. Beginning in 2022, he started working as a real estate agent at Aria Properties in Los Angeles. He uses the knowledge of LA he gained growing up there to lend his expertise advice to potential buyers.
Working In Real Estate
Goes By His Mother’s Name
While a lot of people would be happy to take on their parents’ famous last names to make their lives a little bit easier, Joseph did not want to change his last name to Schwarzenegger after he found out that Arnold is his father. His reasoning? He said on an episode of the Unwaxed podcast: “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.”
Goes By His Mother’s Name
Not The Only One
While Joseph has been cut off financially by his father in order to become a self-sufficient grownup, he’s far from the only child of a celebrity that experienced this. In fact, many celebs want their children to understand the value of money and encourage them to work hard for their success.
Not The Only One
Shaq’s Parenting
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neill is no stranger to life as an extremely wealthy individual. With a net worth of $400 million, he could easily let his kids coast through life. However, he said he does not share his wealth with his children, as he believes they need to earn each penny they have so they can fully appreciate hard work.
Shaq’s Parenting
Ready To Make His Own Name
While a lot of kids would be resentful towards wealthy parents that decide to cut them off, Joseph did not respond this way. Since he came from a humble background, he was far from being spoiled, and he took the opportunity to make a name for himself without outside help.
Ready To Make His Own Name
Also A Bodybuilder
It makes perfect sense that Joseph Baena has also pursued bodybuilding, which his father absolutely excelled at and helped make him the household name that he is today. Inspired by his father, he started bodybuilding early on and it was clear that it’s in his genes. He dedicated hours to the gym, which is of course Gold’s Gym in Venice, where his father is an especially well known figure.
Also A Bodybuilder
10 Years Later
The Schwarzenegger family only found out the truth about Joseph’s paternity 10 years after he was born. The news shook the family to its core, and although Joseph and Arnold were the main focus, that doesn’t mean that Arnold’s other children were not impacted as well.
10 Years Later
Media Attention
The fact remains that when the news broke, it became a total media frenzy. You have two celebrities, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, who herself is a member of the Kennedy family, embroiled in a paternity scandal. While TMZ was heavily involved in circulating the story, mainstream media channels like CNN and even Oprah Winfrey couldn’t resist getting involved with the story as well, pursuing interviews with family members extensively.
Media Attention
Staying Grounded
Although this whole ordeal could have turned Joseph’s life into a bad direction, he was able to stay grounded and true to himself throughout. In fact, he credited his mother with helping him and supporting him no matter what. He said that: “She was really the only person I had.”
Staying Grounded
His Mother’s Ex-Husband
Shortly after Joseph was born, his mother Patty and her husband at the time Rogelio decided to separate. Rogelio decided to speak to a Columbian magazine, where he said that Schwarzenegger had falsified Joseph’s birth documents. He also said that he was planning to sue. However, nothing ever came out of these outlandish claims.
His Mother’s Ex Husband
Pursuing Acting
In addition to being inspired by his father to try out bodybuilding, he also chose to follow in Arnold’s footsteps by also trying his hand at acting. He knew that having a famous father might raise some eyebrows, but that didn’t stop Joseph from going for his dreams.
Pursuing Acting
His First Role
His first acting role came in 2022 when he appeared in Chariot, and later in another film called Bully High. His upcoming films are either filming or on post-production. These projects include films called Encounters, Lava, and Called to Duty: The Last Airshow.
His First Role
Working On His Fitness
Although now Joseph is the picture of fitness and has the genes for it, he’s admitted that being athletic did not come to him naturally and that he had to work for it. He even shared that when he was younger, he was so out of shape he was cut from his soccer and basketball teams.
Working On His Fitness
Joining Swim Team
Everything turned around for Joseph when a friend suggested that he should join the swim team. This decision helped him finally get into shape and got him interested in living a healthier and more active lifestyle, which he has continued through today.
Joining Swim Team
Training For It
His physique is reminiscent of his famous father’s, with natural upper body strength and long arms, which certainly comes in handy when it comes to swimming. He then developed the rest of his body to become overall very strong and it also helped him develop his confidence.
Training For It
A Bright Future
Joseph Baena is finding success in his 20’s, with a great career as a real estate agent along with his acting pursuits. The bodybuilding is seriously an extra, and it seems like Baena works hard and excels in anything he tries his hand at. He credits his mom with much of his success, saying in a birthday post for her on Instagram: “Mom, you in inspire, motivate and push me every day to be successful and chase my dreams. Love you always and forever!”
A Bright Future
Appearing On The Cover
In March 2022, Joseph accomplished many a bodybuilder’s dream and appeared on the cover of Men’s Health magazine, looking as ripped as ever. He shared in the interview: “My father really inspires me. He kind of created the ideal physique for most people…Do I want to have the same physique? I don’t know if I can.”
Appearing On The Cover
Training In Jiu Jitsu
You would think that between working in real estate, acting, and bodybuilding, Joseph would spend the rest of his time relaxing. Well, if you thought that, you’d be totally wrong. In March 2021, he began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu, learning the skills at Checkmat Northridge. Is there anything Joseph can’t do?
Training In Jiu Jitsu
Dancing With The Stars
In 2022, Joseph surprised many people when it was announced that he would be a part of the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars. Most bodybuilders are not exactly known for being light on their feet. However, it was said “that he is not just breaking down the ‘dance floor’ but is also ‘breaking the barriers in his family.'” He was the 5th contestant to be eliminated that season.
Dancing With The Stars
Overcoming Bullies
Part of the reason why Joseph wanted to be a part of filming Bully High was because of the fact that he himself was bullied as a child. He told People: “I was bullied when I was a kid, elementary, middle school, and not really in high school, but I just felt like an outsider in high school at the beginning…[I was] really overweight from the end of elementary school into the beginning of high school.”
Overcoming Bullies
His Career
In May 2021, Joseph first publicly expressed interest in working in real estate in an Instagram post that he shared. By 2022, he made this dream a reality and he is now a real estate agent working for Aria Properties, which focuses on real estate all around the Los Angeles area.
His Career
His Half-Sister
Since Arnold Schwarzenegger is his father, he also has several half siblings through that connection as well. One of his half-siblings is Katherine Schwarzenegger. She is an author who has published three self-help books and a children’s book. She is married to Chris Pratt, and they have two daughters together.
His Half-Sister
His Half-Brother
Joseph’s half brother Patrick Schwarzenegger is a model, actor, investor, and entrepreneur. He is signed with LA models and has worked with Ralph Lauren and Armani. In terms of acting, he has appeared in films including Grown Ups 2, Midnight Sun, Daniel Isn’t Real, Moxie, and TV show The Terminal List.
His Half Brother
Another Half-Brother
Christopher Schwarzenegger is the youngest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. His father posted on Instagram about his graduation with a caption reading: “I know your graduation from Michigan wasn’t the big celebration you dreamed about for years, but walking across a stage isn’t what makes me so proud of you: it’s your compassion, your hard work, your vision, your critical thinking, and your selflessness that make me burst with pride. I can’t wait to watch you keep climbing and succeeding.”
Another Half Brother
Another Half-Sister
Christina Schwarzenegger has also pursued the entertainment industry, though she chose the path of being a producer. She has produced projects like Take Your Pills and Take Your Pills: Xanax. She has previously worked at Goop as an editor and graduated from Georgetown University in 2013, where she majored in English. She later studied interior architecture at Parsons School of Design.
Another Half Sister
His Mother
Mildred Patricia Baena worked as a professional housekeep for 20 years at the Schwarzenegger family before the scandal broke. She resigned and retired from housekeeping in 2011. Since then, she has kept a low profile and not much is known about her except for the fact that she is quite supportive of her son Joseph in all of his endeavors.
His Mother
His Girlfriend
Joseph also has found love in his life. His girlfriend Nicky Dodaj is the co-founder and creative director Malibu Juice Club, which is an athletic and leisure brand.
His Girlfriend
They Met In College
Dodaj also studied at Pepperdine University, where the two actually met. She and Joseph got together in college and in February 2021, they couple celebrated their two year anniversary.
They Met In College
Hanging Out Together
While you might think there’s animosity between Arnold’s children with Maria Shriver and Joseph, that could not be farther form the truth. They were even seen together working out by the Santa Monica stairs along with Joseph’s girlfriend Nicky.
Hanging Out Together