The Most Tragic Details About Arnold Schwarzenegger's Son Christopher
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in the public eye for decades, first as a bodybuilder, then as an actor, and later as the Governor of California. His different career paths have opened his life up to scrutiny, which then trickles down to his family, including his children. The Austrian native has four children with ex-wife Maria Shriver and one son with his longtime housekeeper, Mildred Baena, with whom he had an affair. However, it's his middle son, Christopher Schwarzenegger, who's had a rougher go at life. He struggled with his weight growing up, experiencing body shaming from a young age before revealing a drastic weight loss in 2023.
Unlike his siblings, Christopher hasn't lived his life in the spotlight. His older sister, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, married Hollywood hunk Chris Pratt, and the couple has two daughters. His older brother, Patrick Schwarzenegger, followed in their dad's footsteps and is an actor, as is his younger half-brother, Joseph Baena. His other sister, Christina Schwarzenegger, is a producer. Christopher is the Vice Chair on the Special Olympics Founder's Council, and according to the organization's website, he is also the Director of Development at Indus Valley Media, working for a sports psychologist named Trevor Moawad before that. Unfortunately, Christopher's journey toward getting a college degree in psychology didn't go according to plan.
His college graduation experience was ruined
In May 2020, Christopher Schwarzenegger was all set to walk the stage and receive his diploma from the University of Michigan after years of hard work, but that's not what ended up happening. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, safety restrictions were put in place that prevented an in-person graduation ceremony, forcing it to take place online instead. While this affected a myriad of students across the globe, it's still disheartening to not feel like you received proper recognition for your success.
Arnold Schwarzenegger took to Instagram to celebrate his son's achievements, photoshopping a picture of Christopher into a cap and gown in front of the school's emblem. "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," the action movie star wrote, "it's your compassion, your hard work, your vision, your critical thinking, and your selflessness that make me burst with pride."
He experienced a terrible surfing accident as a kid
When Christopher Schwarzenegger was 13 years old, he got hurt while out boogie boarding on a Malibu beach. According to reports by CBS News, the then-teenager "suffered a collapsed lung, broken bones and broken ribs and is in the intensive care unit." He made a full recovery, but the pain and recuperation could not have been easy.
Per the New York Post, Christopher's siblings tweeted encouraging words for their little brother. "He's a tough little guy and getting better!" Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. Patrick Schwarzenegger said Christopher "is [the] strongest kid [he's] ever seen," encouraging his followers to "keep praying" for a swift recovery.
Thankfully, Christopher pulled through and grew up to do great work for others — despite the hiccups in his life — helping to empower athletes competing in the Special Olympics every year.