Joseph Baena says it took 'a little while' to bond with dad Arnold Schwarzenegger

Watch: Why did it take 'a little while' for Arnold Schwarzenegger to bond with son Joseph Baena?

Joseph Baena has revealed that he and his dad Arnold Schwarzenegger are "really close" now but that it took some time because he was "nervous".

The 24-year-old is the son that the 'Terminator' actor had with Mildred ‘Patty’ Baena, his former housekeeper.

Opening up about their relationship now, Baena said on the Unwaxed podcast that it “took a little while for me and him to get really close and just [feel] like I can joke around with him and talk about anything”.

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The budding actor went on: “I grew up with my mum and I was always nervous and I didn't want him to think bad of me and be like, 'What the heck is this guy doing? He's just partying all the time'."

He added: "Now it's like, awesome. I'm so close to my dad and we joke about everything."

Baena was born in 1997, just days after Schwarzenegger’s then wife Maria Shriver gave birth to their youngest son Christopher.

The former Governor of California, 74, previously said how proud he was of Baena.

He shared a picture of them together in 2019 after Baena graduated from college, and wrote: “Congratulations Joseph!

"Four years of hard work studying business at Pepperdine and today is your big day!

"You have earned all of the celebration and I’m so proud of you. I love you!”

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He also once shared a picture of them having a drink together on Baena’s birthday, saying: “Great student, great athlete.

"I'm proud of you and I love you!”

Schwarzenegger was married to Shriver from 1986 to 2011.

They share four children – daughters Katherine and Christina and sons Christopher and Patrick.