Everything You Need To Know About Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 5 Kids

Arnold Schwarzenegger is many things to many people. Bodybuilder from Austria. Iconic action star of the ‘80s and beyond. Former Governor of California. Celebrity, philanthropist. But to five people in the world he is simply their “dad,” and he makes it clear over and over again that he is especially proud to hold that particular title.

In 1986, the action star married Maria Shriver, daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, after first meeting in 1977. They were together for 25 years and welcomed four children over eight years, with the Terminator taking to parenthood in his characteristic all-in style. Shwarzenegger told Jay Leno back in 2007, when he was also busy being the Governor of California, that he enjoyed pretty much everything about fatherhood, including “taking them to school in the morning sometimes, watching them do sports, getting smarter than I am — it’s a lot of fun. It’s really great,” he said at the time, per People.

Schriver filed for divorce from Schwarzenegger in 2011 when it was revealed that he had fathered a child with the couple’s longtime housekeeper Mildred Baena.

It was obviously a difficult time for the family, he told The Hollywood Reporter in May that the couple have remained “really good friends” since their divorce. “[We are] very close and we are very proud of the way we raised our kids, even though we had this drama, we did Easter together, Mother's Day together, the Christmases together, all birthdays — everything together,” the former governor shared with the outlet. “If there's Oscars for how to handle divorce, Maria and I should get it for having the least amount of impact on the kids…”

Here’s what you need to know Schwarzenegger’s five children.

Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, 33.

Schwarzenegger’s oldest daughter Katherine was born in December 1989. She became quite a success in her own right, publishing a New York Times bestselling book, Rock What You've Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who's Been There and Back, at 21 years old in 2010. She went on to graduate from the University of Southern California and continues to write books.

Katherine also married Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt in 2019, and the pair have gone on to welcome two daughters, Lyla and Eloise, together. Making Schwarzenegger a grandfather which he told Jimmy Kimmel he loves. “They come over to the house, you play with Lyla for around an hour or two, put her on the horse, put her with the dog. And after two hours, they leave,” he told Kimmel in 2022, adding, “It's fantastic! I have a great time when they come over to the house.”

Christina Schwarzenegger, 31.

Christina joined the family in 1991 and followed in her mom’s footsteps by attending Georgetown University. After graduating with a degree in English in 2013, Christina went on to work as an editor for Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop as well as becoming a founding member of the Special Olympics Founder’s Council. Christina and her mother produced the 2018 Netflix documentary Take Your Pills, which looked at Christina’s addiction to Adderall, which she has thankfully overcome. Christina does not use social media, but her father made sure to shout her out for her birthday with a sweet photo and a message that spending time with her was one of his “favorite things to do.”

Patrick Schwarzenegger, 29.

Patrick Schwarzenegger was the first born son of the family, arriving in 1993 and taking after his dad. Patrick followed in his dad’s footsteps by going into acting, most recently in the HBO true crime series The Staircase, and he told TODAY in 2022 that both his parents are very supportive of his career. "Both my parents are proud of me," Patrick said at the time about following in his dad's acting footsteps. “It's pretty surreal 'cause I remember growing up and going to set with [my dad] and it was like my favorite activity. He's really proud of me and they're so supportive, I couldn't ask for a better parent duo.”

Christopher Schwarzenegger is 25.

Much like his older sister Christina, Christopher prefers to keep a low profile. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 and his dad celebrated his son with a sweet Instagram post honoring his son’s change in plans due to Covid-19 lockdown. “Christopher, you are a champion and I love you,” Schwarzenegger wrote in the caption. “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.”

Joseph Baena, 25.

Schwarzenegger’s son Joseph was born in 1997, but his mother kept his identity a secret until it became evident that he was his father’s son due to their strong resemblance. The two have bonded over the years through their shared love of body building, and Joseph even dabbled in the entertainment industry when he competed on Dancing With The Stars in Season 31. “I love my father. He's the smartest, best man I can think of,” Joseph told People in 2022. “So, you know, to be compared to him, to be in the same character, Hercules — you know he played Hercules in New York. It's amazing, you know? It's awesome. And who doesn't want to be like their father, right? So, it's great.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger has a big, complicated family. But he’s happy to be dad to every last one of them.