Tragic Moments In The Life Of Patrick Schwarzenegger

As one of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger's kids, it's easy to believe Patrick Schwarzenegger has barely had to lift a finger to live the lavish lifestyle he enjoys today. But growing up in one of the world's most famous families hasn't been all red carpets and champagne. Patrick told Vanity Fair in February he related to his "The White Lotus" character Saxon Ratliff because he too felt the pressure of growing up in a affluent family. "He worked under his father; he was always trying to make a name for himself, make a path for himself, was constantly vying for his dad's attention and acceptance and approval," he said. "I wouldn't say they're directly the same as mine, but there are definitely elements of it that I could draw upon."

Patrick also opened up about his struggle to find his own success as the son of two big celebrities. "There are people who'll say I only got ['The White Lotus'] role because of who my dad is. They're not seeing that I've had 10 years of acting classes ... worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions," he told The Times in February. "Of course, it's frustrating and you can get boxed in, and you think at that moment, I wish I didn't have my last name," the California native said. But from sudden deaths to family heartbreaks, nepo baby accusations are far from the worst tragedy Patrick has faced.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's notorious affair is no secret (anymore) — and neither is the Schwarzenegger family's heartbreak. The former Governor of California cheated on his now ex-wife Maria Shriver with their housekeeper and the two welcomed a child together, leading to Arnold and Maria divorcing after 25 years. Arnold's actions brought a lot of unwanted attention and sadness Patrick's way, and the then-17 year old started being followed by paparazzi as his family drama hit headlines. He also made his stance on his dad's misdeeds very clear on social media. "Some days you feel like s**t, some days you want to quit and just be normal for a bit, yet i love my family till death do us apart," he wrote in a since deleted tweet (via CBS News), tellingly referring to himself as Patrick Shriver.

Arnold's affair impacted the relationship between his kids, and "The Terminator" star opened up about the sad moment he broke the news to Patrick and his siblings on "60 Minutes" in 2012. "I had to tell them each about what has happened and how I have screwed up," he said. "Well, they cried. I mean ... it tears your heart out when you just have to tell them that."

In 2011, Patrick Schwarzenegger's brother Christopher Schwarzenegger experienced a tragedy of his own when he received multiple serious surfing injuries. TMZ reported the then-13 year old had a collapsed lung and broken bones, so he was admitted to the ICU. Maria Shriver's rep clarified how difficult the experience was for the whole family to ABC News, sharing, "A few days ago our son Christopher suffered an accident at the beach. While it has been a very scary week, Christopher is surrounded by his family and friends. He is a brave boy and is expected to make a full recovery."

Thankfully, Christopher rebounded well and Patrick updated fans on his brother's condition a few days after the news broke. The star posted a photo of himself as he attempted to keep morale up. "My brother is doing a lot better. Wearing this shirt for him," Patrick captioned the upload, which showed him in a white T-Shirt with his brother's face on it (via E! News).

Patrick Schwarzenegger's maternal grandfather, Sargent Shriver, died in 2011, but was tragically diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years earlier. "I think any time a family member gets the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, it affects the entire family," Patrick's mom Maria Shriver told The Fisher Center For Alzheimer's Research Foundation. "You go through first shock, confusion, denial, and at some point acceptance, and then the acceptance keeps asking you to re-accept it over and over again," she added. Maria also shared her father no longer recognized his family members.

Patrick's grandfather's diagnosis had such an impact on him that he teamed up with Maria to spread awareness of the condition. The two created the business MOSH to educate people on what they're putting into their bodies, with proceeds from its protein bars donated to Maria's Alzheimer's charity, The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. "We like to be more than just a product; we're a mission driven company," he said. 

Patrick also shared how his grandfather inspired the project while speaking to Fitt Insider on the 20th anniversary of Sargent's diagnosis. "MOSH has really been 20 years in the making ... Our hope is to help save other families from enduring the same experience of seeing a family member's mind slowly slip away," he said.

In 2024, Patrick Schwarzenegger was one of the many people deeply affected by the sudden, tragic passing of his friend and "Gen V" co-star Chance Perdomo. The "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" actor died in a motorcycle accident aged just 27.

Patrick paid tribute to his friend on X, formerly known as Twitter, quoting the news of his death and writing, "This hurts. A lot. What a young talented actor, and a great friend — gone way too soon. Was a pleasure to work with him in GenV. RIP Chance." After a fan shared a screenshot from "Gen V" showing the two hugging, Patrick responded, "Damn that just made me tear up." The star also paid tribute to his late friend via several photos on Instagram Stories. "Love yah buddy. Hope you're up in heaven with a cigar," Patrick wrote alongside one of the images, which showed them together on set (via E! News).

In 2019, Patrick Schwarzenegger was pictured in a sling, apparently due to a shoulder injury. Three years later, the actor revealed that his torn ligament was so bad he still felt the effects for months after. "I tried to do physical therapy for a year, and then I got PRP shots and I got stem cell shots and I tried physical therapy again. Nothing was showing up on the MRI," he recalled to GQ in 2021. Patrick eventually had surgery with an eight month rest period, which led him into the COVID-19 lockdown. "I did absolutely nothing for a few months and just ate and got kinda out of shape," "The Staircase" star said.

Patrick elaborated on the tough time to Metro that same year, admitting that having surgery right before the pandemic made his recovery even harder. "I couldn't move and I had to sit and do absolutely nothing for a while. It was terrible," he said. "It really messed with me mentally and physically because I am a really big routine person," he added. Thankfully, Patrick came out the other side of the ordeal and his shoulder made a full recovery, which allowed him to work out again and regain control of his mental and physical health.