Schwarzenegger acknowledges having child with staffer

By the CNN Wire Staff

May 17, 2011 -- Updated 1456 GMT (2256 HKT)

(CNN) -- Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child more than 10 years ago outside of his marriage to Maria Shriver, a source close to the former California governor confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.

The revelation, published first by the Los Angeles Times, came about a week after Schwarzenegger and his wife of 25 years announced that they were "amicably separating."

"After leaving the governor's office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger said in a statement obtained by CNN. "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."

Schwarzenegger fathered the child with a household staffer, the Times article said. He has provided support for the child since birth, the source told CNN.

The staffer told the newspaper that the child was fathered by her then-husband. She declined to comment after learning of Schwarzenegger's statement, the newspaper reported.
Schwarzenegger, Shriver separate

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The newspaper quoted her as saying she recently retired "on good terms" with the couple after working for them for 20 years.

The newspaper said it was not publishing the former staffer's name or that of her child to protect their privacy.

The May 9 announcement that Schwarzenegger and Shriver were separating did not mention a reason for the split, but said the decision was a mutual one.

"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," they said. "After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together."

The couple have four children together between the ages of 14 and 21.

A spokeswoman for Shriver said she would have no comment, the Times reported.

After Schwarzenegger and Shriver married in 1986, they became one of America's most famous couples.

He was one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, and she was a network news anchor and a member of the Kennedy family, America's storied Democratic political dynasty.

Shortly before the 2003 gubernatorial election that catapulted the former actor to political office, however, the Los Angeles Times ran a series of articles in which 16 women accused him of sexually harassing and humiliating them over a 30-year period in incidents on movie sets, at gymnasiums and elsewhere.

One of the women said that when she worked with Schwarzenegger on a movie, he pulled up her shirt to expose her breasts and took a picture, and groped her on two other occasions.

Rhonda Miller filed a lawsuit, saying Schwarzenegger and his campaign staff tried to discredit her by spreading false information about her.

Schwarzenegger said he knew nothing about Miller's allegations and said the timing of the complaints of the 16 women was "rather odd," given that no one had filed a complaint against him in the 35 years that he had lived in the United States.

Schwarzenegger issued a general apology for "behaving badly sometimes" but said many of the allegations were not true "because that's not my behavior."

Schwarzenegger, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Austria who gained fame as the youngest winner of the Mr. Universe bodybuilding contest, was governor until January. He has been busy in recent months reviving his acting career and signing movie deals -- including a project to do another installment of his "Terminator" series.