Schwarzenegger Says Maid Affair Was Stupid In Tell-All Book
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) - Arnold Schwarzenegger is acknowledging that having an affair and producing a child with his housekeeper inflicted great pain on his wife, Maria Shriver, and the four children he had with her.
Schwarzenegger says that chapter in his life was the stupidest thing he did in his relationship with Shriver, from whom he is now separated.
The comments by the former "Mr. Universe," Hollywood action star and Republican governor of California came in an interview with "60 Minutes" set to air Sunday. The interview is part of the promotion of Schwarzenegger's new autobiography, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story."
CBS aired excerpts of the interview Friday.
The book is part of Schwarzenegger's attempted rebranding after a rocky political career and embarrassing revelations about the affair after he left office last year.
Mildred Baena came forward in June of 2011 to confirm that she was the woman involved in the affair with the former governor.
Schwarzenegger also wrote that Republican political guru Karl Rove predicted the 2003 California recall election that put the muscleman-actor in office would never happen. He visited Rove in early 2003, when the GOP strategist was a top White House adviser.
According to excerpts obtained Friday by The Associated Press in advance of the book's release, it turned out to be an awkward visit.
Not only did Rove tell Schwarzenegger the recall election that ousted Democrat Gray Davis would not happen, he introduced the actor to then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice as his pick to run for California governor in 2006.
Schwarzenegger felt snubbed.
He asks, "How could Rove have been so wrong?"
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