DANCING With The Stars welcomed Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, Joseph Baena, to center stage in August 2022.

Baena appeared in the first episode of season 31 of DWTS on September 19, 2022.

Who is Joseph Baena?

Joseph Baena, 24, had no idea he was the son of The Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, until he was 13 years old.

His mom is Mildred Patricia Baena was working as a housekeeper in Schwarzenegger's home when she had an affair with him in 1997.

The actor was still married to Maria Shriver at the time, and after realizing she was pregnant, Mildred left Schwarzenegger's home to keep the link between her son and his father a secret.

Baena grew up in a Guatemalan household in Bakersfield, California, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.

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“It was a humble home and we didn’t have much,” Baena told Men's Health.

He learned to speak Spanish and learned about his Guatemalan heritage through cooking, learning the culture, and music.

“That’s a huge part of me,” he said. “My mom’s whole side is Guatemalan; we have a lot of Colombian family. Nearly everyone on that side is Latin American.”

Baena didn't know who his father was until he was 13 years old, when he began to resemble Schwarzenegger so much, that the truth was impossible to ignore.

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The media learned about the connection between Baena and his famous father in 2011, and Baena told the outlet: “I remember the day very vividly.

“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.’"

He continued, speaking about that day: “I’m 13. Your body’s transforming; your mind is transforming. And now my life transformed before my eyes.”

When did Arnold Schwarzenegger find out about Joseph Baena? 

Schwarzenegger reportedly found out about his son when Baena was 8 years old and Shriver became suspicious.

She confronted Schwarzenegger during a therapy session, an event he wrote about in his book Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story.

“The minute we sat down, the therapist turned to me and said, ‘Maria wanted to come here today and to ask about a child — whether you fathered a child with your housekeeper Mildred,’” Schwarzenegger wrote.

He continued: “I told the therapist, ‘It’s true.'”

After the news broke, Schwarzenegger issued an apology to Shriver and their children.

He said he was “truly sorry” for what had happened and in 2012 he told People: “They cried. It tears your heart out.”

But he added: “The important thing that everyone should know is that I take care of [Baena] and I take care of [Mildred]. And I fulfill my responsibility and I’m glad to do that.”

Looking back at his actions, Schwarzenegger says, “If you would have asked me 10 years ago, five years ago, two years ago, what is the most important thing in my life, I would tell you over and over, it’s my marriage, it’s my family. So the thing that really meant the most to me kind of fell apart because of my doing. That is something that I will always look back and say, ‘How could you have done that.’ ”

The affair was kept on the low until 2011 when the Los Angeles Times uncovered the story.

Schwarzenegger and Shriver divorced in 2011, with many believing that the cause of the split was infidelity.

Over the last ten years, Baena and Schwarzenegger have worked on building a relationship which blossomed when Baena took an interest in bodybuilding.

When Baena went to his father to ask him for advice, Schwarzenegger gave him The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, a book he co-authored which would help in Baena's training.

“Even though I could call him anytime, I was too proud,” Baena told Men's Health.“I went straight to the book. I wanted to figure it out myself.”

After he got the basics, Baena reached back out to ask for tips on building his shoulder muscles, and when he turned 18, Schwarzenegger started training with him.

“I was so nervous,” Baena said, adding: “I was being observant, trying to see what he was doing and the way he was acting.

Schwarzenegger taught him how to properly do dumbell curls, employ a deeper squat, and learn how the burning feeling in his muscles signified growth.

"I was able to acquire a bodybuilding mentality—that I could shape my body however I want," he said.

Baena added that one of the thing's his dad taught him is: “It’s pushing yourself to the limits and going that extra mile, getting those extra reps and half reps till you’re basically dying.”

Although bodybuilding has allowed Baena and Schwarzenegger the opportunity to bond, he said it isn't what defines his happiness and his life.

"There are so many other things that I care about more than fitness,” he told the outlet.

“My lifestyle, my family, my friends, having fun at work. There’s a balance. It’s not just fitness all the time.”

“It took a little bit for me to realize that I don’t have to do what my dad did,” he added.

“I don’t have to get into acting or bodybuilding. I’m very motivated and driven. I’m happy about my relationship with my dad.

"But I’m more happy that I am finding joy in what I’m doing and that I’m doing exactly what I’ve always dreamed about.”

Is Joseph Baena on Dancing With The Stars?

Baena appeared on season 31 of Dancing With The Stars alongside his dance partner Daniella Karagach on September 19, 2022.

He first confirmed the news that he would be joining DWTS on Instagram with a photo of him and Karagach, writing: "Pump up the volume or pump up the ballroom!"

However, Baena confessed in an interview with E! News ahead of the season premiere that the training sessions had been more difficult than he expected.

"So far, I feel really heavy," Baena told the outlet. "It's not the best feeling. I usually feel pretty light with 300 pounds on my back. It's not too bad. But moving around, jumping, it's a lot!"

Karagach told that outlet "[Baena's] been working so hard. Obviously it's not coming easy to him or is it going to come easy to anyone here. As long as you work hard and you strive to be better the next day, I think you'll be okay."

Despite the difficult learning curve, Baena said he's still confident about the competition.

He said: "I'm ready for the challenge and I have the best coach here. We're going to kill it."

Dancing With The Stars airs every Monday at 8pm EST on ABC and viewers can also stream the show on Disney+.

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