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Schwarzenegger Admits He Fathered Child With Longtime Household Staffer
The Sperminator? The Inseminator? Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger now has a slew of new nicknames in the wake of the revelation this morning by the Los Angeles Times that the actor-politician fathered a child out of wedlock with a woman employed in the home he shared with his now-estranged wife Maria Shriver.
The former staffer left her position voluntarily and on good terms with the Schwarzeneggers earlier this year after achieving a 20-year tenure. The child Schwarzenegger fathered with her was born over a decade ago, prior to his first run for office. Up until Schwarzenegger admitted recently to Shriver that he was the child's father, the child's paternity was attributed to the staffer's then-husband.
According to the Times, Shriver moved out of the couple's Brentwood home when she was told the truth about the child. They announced their separation in a joint statement last week, following several weeks of speculation about the stability of their union, particularly as Shriver made public appearances without wearing her wedding ring.
Schwarzenegger was prompted to go public with news of the child after being questioned by the LA Times; he issued a statement to the paper in response, which in part includes the following apology: "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."
An anonymous source told the Times that Schwarzenegger has taken financial responsibility for the child from the beginning, however the paper has opted to not publish the name of the former staffer or the child.
Schwarzenegger and Shriver have four children together, who were born between 1989 and 1997. As part of their separation announcement, the couple said they were planning to continue to co-parent their children, and Schwarzenegger has since hinted at the hope of reconciliation. Shriver has not made a statement about the Times' revelation.
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