Arnold Schwarzenegger admits having an affair was the ‘stupidest thing’ he ever did in his marriage

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The 'Expendables 2' star accepts he caused great pain to his now estranged wife Maria Shriver and their four children with his illicit romance, which led to Mildred Beana giving birth to his son Joseph 14 years ago.

He said in an episode of '60 Minutes' airing on Sunday: "I think it was the stupidest thing I've done in the whole relationship. It was terrible. I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids."
The former Governor of California is currently promoting his autobiography, 'Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story' and though he says Maria hasn't read the tell-all tome, she wishes him the best.

He said: "I think that Maria is, you know, wishing me well in everything I do."

Mildred - who worked for Arnold's family for 20 years - had listed her ex-husband's name on Joseph's birth certificate and has previously said she only knew for certain who the boy's father was when he began to look increasingly like the actor.

The affair was only revealed in May last year, days after Arnold and Maria announced they were separating after 25 years of marriage.

Arnold Schwarzenegger owes everything to bodybuilding - from weights, to "The Terminator", to Governor of California

Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Predator'

The 65-year-old actor has had a very interesting and varied career - including being a movie star and the Governor of California - but knows he would have been able to do any of it if he hadn't have started working out and taking care of his body while he was growing up in Austria.

Schwarzenegger - who is a seven-time Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion - said: "When I started lifting I got compliments right away - 'Wow! You've been lifting for a month? This is incredible. Look at your muscles popping out!' It was the perfect storm. Bodybuilding got me into the movies, then movies got me into political office - because politics is all about name recognition. So it all goes back to bodybuilding. Without that I wouldn't have achieved any of the things that happened after."

The 'Terminator' star also revealed he always knew he wanted to leave Austria for Hollywood so had to work hard on his body to achieve his dream.

He added to Empire magazine: "I'd felt from the time I was 10 years old that I was destined for something bigger than staying in Austria, even though at the time I didn't quite know what I was going to be. I remember buying this magazine and reading about a young kid in a factory town who trained hard, became Mr. Universe and went to America. Then all of a sudden he was offered 'Hercules' movies!

"I thought, 'Well, this is exactly what I would like to do.' He trained five hours a day, so I started training five hours a day. Whatever he did, I did. I basically had the blueprint for what I had always dreamed about."
Schwarzenegger made his acting debut in 1970 movie 'Hercules in New York' but he shot to worldwide fame playing the title character in 'Conan the Barbarian' in 1982.

Arnold Schwarzenegger told estranged wife Maria Shriver he's going to start a relationship with a "20-year-old honey"

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The 65-year-old actor reportedly refused to attend marriage counselling and told his neighbour that he could live without Maria, who he split from in May 2011 when she discovered he had fathered a child, who is now 14 years old, with their housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena.

According to Newsweek magazine, Schwarzenegger told his neighbour: "I think things will work out OK with Maria, but if they don't, I'm getting me a 20-year-old honey."

The 'Expendables 2' star is said to have told his wife of 25 years to leave their Californian mansion, which forced her to live in a hotel while Arnold remained in the property, and when she asked for a divorce he insisted that he would be the one who still has friends when they separate.

He said: "I have the money, the power, and the plane, and I will have the friends."

According to the publication, the 'Expendables 2' star "could not understand" why Maria - who has four children with the actor - didn't forgive him.

The piece states: "Arnold is a very different kind of person [to Maria]. Anything that posed emotional pain or difficulty, he was out of there.

"He could not understand why Maria could not just forgive and get on with things, and when Maria said she needed a trial separation and told Arnold to move out, family and friends say that he refused. It was his house, and he wasn't budging..."

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s talks success at opening of a museum dedicated to his life

Arnold Schwarzenegger statue at the museum in Austria

Arnold Schwarzenegger attended the inauguration of a museum dedicated to his life and work and told the assembled crowd his success was down to “determination, hard work, and stubbornness.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger credits his success to “determination, hard work and stubbornness”.

The former Governor of California attended the official inauguration a museum dedicated to his life and work in his native Austria today (07.10.11) and told the hundreds of assembled fans he hopes visitors to the exhibition – which is situated in his childhood home in Thal – will appreciate that “everyone can be successful in his own way”.

He added: "My personal success has less to do with millions of dollars or with the headlines in the media that are not always positive and also not with being clapped on the shoulder by Barack Obama and other world names. Personal success is the result of determination, hard work and stubbornness.

"For me, this is not only a museum. It is also a symbol of will ... everyone has a chance."
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Maria Shriver's split from Arnold Schwarzenegger has left her 'feeling down and confused'

Arnold Schwarzenegger pays a "significant" amount of child support to his estranged wife
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Despite splitting from wife Maria Shriver earlier this year Arnold – who was accompanied on the visit by his 18-year-old son Patrick – paid tribute to her and their wedding day.

Gesturing to exhibited photographs of the former couple, Arnold said: “The marriage with Maria is one of the days that I remember with great fondness."

As well as visiting the museum – which features items including his first barbell, several life-sized ‘Terminator’ models, the desk he used when in office in California and his childhood bed – Arnold unveiled a bronze statue of himself, one of several he had commissioned earlier this year.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered an eight foot tall bronze statue of himself

The actor has personally commissioned at least three "heroic" scale bronze statues which depict him in his body building prime.

The statues are all modelled on a smaller sculpture created in 1980, the year Arnold won his seventh Mr Olympia title, and cost around £100,000 each.

As many as seven of the statues will be made in total, with Tim Parks - the owner of TW Bronze, which is pouring the bronze for the statues – receiving a visit from Arnold, who told him he definitely wants "one for himself."

The 'Terminator' star even took a tour of Tim's operation, and told him "This is fantastic. This is fantastic," upon seeing the statues of himself. He only requested one minor change be made, that its patina be made a little darker.
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The first of the statues is being shipped to Thal in Austria, the town where Arnold was born, which houses a museum dedicated to him. The second is set for Columbus, Ohio, where the Arnold Fitness Weekend – inspired by the star - is an annual event.

The third completed statue will be given to the former Governor of California.

When the subject of how many should be made in total, Tim suggested it "ought to be your number," in reference to the seven Mr Olympia titles he earned from 1970 to 1975 and again in 1980, to which Arnold replied: "perfect".

Arnold, 64, is currently locked in a divorce battle with his wife, Maria Shriver, after it emerged he had fathered a child with their housekeeper, Mildred Buena, and he has also moved back into acting, with roles line up in 'The Expendables 2' and he is currently in talks to appear in independent film 'Captive'.