Putting on his dancing shoes! Joseph Baena, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Beana, is set to make his Dancing With the Stars debut this fall.
Us Weekly confirms the 24-year-old gym buff will compete on season 31 of the ballroom dancing show, which is moving to Disney+ after 15 years on ABC. Rumors swirled of Joseph’s casting after he was photographed on his way to a rehearsal studio in Los Angeles on Friday, August 26.
Like Schwarzenegger, 75, Joseph has a passion for bodybuilding. Earlier this year, Joseph told Men’s Health that he and his father connected over their shared interest in fitness.
“Even though I could call him anytime, I was too proud,” the Los Angeles resident explained in February. “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?”
At the time, Joseph acknowledged that it’s important for him to follow his own path. “I don’t have to do what my dad did. I don’t have to get into acting or bodybuilding,” he told the outlet. “I’m very motivated and driven. I’m happy about my relationship with my dad.”
The Kindergarten Cop actor shares four children — Katherine Schwarzenegger, Christina Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Christopher Schwarzenegger — with Maria Shriver. The pair tied the knot in April 1986 and called it quits 25 years later. Soon after their split made headlines, Arnold confirmed he had a son with Mildred, now 61, who worked as a housekeeper for the famous family. Joseph was born days after Shriver, now 66, welcomed Christopher in September 1997. (The journalist and the Austria native finalized their divorce in 2021, a decade after their initial separation.)
Drama aside, Joseph looks up to the Terminator: Dark Fate star. “My father’s a huge inspiration to me,” he exclusively told Us in November 2019, revealing the specific piece of Arnold’s bodybuilding advice that has stuck with him the most. “To push it all the way and more weight. Push it more. I would say, you can always do more than you think you can.”
The Pepperdine University alum was just 13 when he learned of his father’s identity. “I remember the day very vividly,” he told Men’s Health. “I was in the eighth grade. Fifth or sixth period. And I get called out of class to leave. And my mom’s there, and she’s like, ‘We gotta go — everyone is finding out about you and who your father is.’ … And now my life transformed before my eyes.”
Joseph got candid about how his relationship with Arnold has changed over the years during an “Unwaxed” podcast interview in January, revealing that he was worried the Twins actor would “think bad of” him. “[I didn’t want my dad to] be like, ‘What the heck is this guy doing? He’s just partying all the time,'” he explained.
At the time, Joseph said he doesn’t see himself changing his last name. “I’m doing my own thing. I haven’t thought of it that much,” he added. “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.”
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