Schwarzenegger admits fathering love child with staffer

Days after the news that the former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was separating from his wife, it has emerged that he fathered a child more than 10 years ago with a member of his household staff.

According to the LA Times, Mr Schwarzenegger’s wife Maria Shriver moved out of the couple’s home after he admitted the child was his. The child’s mother, who retired in January, had worked for the family for 20 years.

In a statement, Mr Schwarzenegger said he had told his wife after his term of office ended: “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,” he said.

Quoting a source close to the family, the newspaper said Schwarzenegger had provided financial support to the child from the start.

The former Hollywood action star and his wife have been married for 25 years and have four children. When they announced their separation last week, they did not give a reason, although it was clear they had been leading separate lives.

Ms Shriver, a former television journalist, has been active with a number of volunteer organisations, while Mr Schwarzenegger has been travelling the world, and is pursuing new entertainment projects. At the weekend, he was spotted having dinner with fellow movie star Sylvester Stallone in Beverly Hills.

And it appears they had very different ideas about the future of their marriage. Last week, Mr Schwarzenegger was hinting at a possible reconciliation: “We both love each other very much,” he said, “we’re taking one day at a time.” However, according to the LA Times, friends of Ms Shriver believe she had been unhappy for years.

The former Republican Governor has admitted that he “behaved badly sometimes”, but has insisted most of the allegations about him are untrue. And his wife, a lifelong Democrat, crucially supported him when he ran for office, campaigning for him in 2003, and again when he sought re-election in 2006.

The woman at the centre of these latest revelations has declined to comment further about her child, and so far, there’s been no comment from Ms Shriver.