LOS ANGELES — Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged that he fathered a child with a member of his household staff, a shocking revelation that prompted his heartbroken wife Maria Shriver to leave the couple’s home.
Hours after Ahnold admitted to fathering a child, Shriver 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. I will have no further comment.”
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Schwarzenegger and Shriver had jointly announced last week that they were splitting after 25 years of marriage.
Shriver moved out of the family’s Brentwood mansion earlier in the year after Schwarzenegger acknowledged the child is his, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
“After leaving the governor’s office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago,” Schwarzenegger told the Times in a statement that also was sent to The Associated Press.
“I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry.
“I ask that the media respect my wife and children through this extremely difficult time,” the statement concluded. “While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not.”
The couple’s son Patrick responded to the news today via Twitter, writing, “[S]ome days you feel like sh-t, some days you want to quit and just be normal for a bit, yet i love my family till death do us apart. #family.”
He also changed the last name displayed on his Twitter account from Schwarzenegger to Shriver.
Daughter Katherine also addressed the situation on Twitter. “This is definitely not easy but I appreciate your love and support as I begin to heal and move forward in life,” she wrote Tuesday afternoon, adding, “I will always love my family!”
The Times did not publish the former staffer’s name nor that of her child but said the woman worked for the family for 20 years and retired in January.
In an interview Monday before Schwarzenegger issued his statement, the former staffer said another man — her husband at the time — was the child’s father. When the Times later informed the woman of the governor’s statement, she declined to comment further.
The child was born before Schwarzenegger began his seven-year stint as governor.
Shriver stood by her husband during his 2003 gubernatorial campaign after the Los Angeles Times reported accusations that he had a history of groping women. Schwarzenegger later said he “behaved badly sometimes.”
In his first public comments since the couple announced their breakup, Schwarzenegger said last week that he and Shriver “both love each other very much.”
“We are very fortunate that we have four extraordinary children and we’re taking one day at a time,” he said at a Los Angeles event marking Israeli independence. Their children range in age from 13 to 21.
Since his term as California governor ended in early January, Schwarzenegger, 63, has hopscotched around the world, his wife nowhere in sight. While the “Terminator” star appeared confident about the future since exiting politics, cutting movie deals and fashioning himself as a global spokesman for green energy, Shriver, known for her confidence, seemed unsettled.
Shriver, 55, maintained her own identity when her husband entered politics, though she gave up her job at NBC. Their union was often tested in Sacramento, where the former action star contended with a rough seven years of legislative gridlock, a budget crisis and lingering questions about his fidelity.
With AP