COMMENTARY | Reports have surfaced that Arnold Schwarzenegger's mistress, Mildred Patricia ("Patty") Baena, had threatened to go public four weeks ago with the news of their love child.
Radar Online suggests that Schwarzenegger was prompted to go public with his admission in order to preempt Baena.
According to the Radar Online/Star Magazine investigation, Schwarzenegger had fired Baena in a last-ditch effort to save his marriage to Maria Shriver.
As Radar Online reported, "Mildred was furious that the father of her 14-year-old son would callously fire her from her job after decades of loyal service. She admitted to friends how she finally wanted to tell the secret -- that she had kept faithfully for 14 years -- to the world."
Although there were reports that Baena had retired, Radar Online reports that she had been working for Arnold and Maria until four weeks ago.
This week, Schwarzenegger admitted that he had fathered a child with the former housekeeper. According to sources such as Long Island Press, Baena had pursued him and began telling friends that they were having unprotected sex.
After becoming pregnant, Schwarzenegger and Shriver had assumed Baena's then-husband, Rogelio Baena, was the father. When the child was a toddler, Mildred had informed Schwarzenegger of the child's true paternity. The boy was born Oct. 2, 1997.
According to Schwarzenegger's statement, he had only informed his wife of the child's identity after he left the governor's office.
Although one cannot excuse Schwarzenegger's part in these unfortunate events, this housekeeper's motives seem suspicious. What would she have to gain from going public now when the love child is already a teenager? What purpose is there in ruining the political career of a term-limited former governor?
More than anything, it seems her grievances come from being fired and losing her $1,000-per-week housekeeping salary. How much was she being paid to keep the secret for so many years? For all we know, she could have seduced him in hopes of landing hush money and generous child support checks.
Schwarzenegger is at least taking the high road in one respect. He is taking responsibility for his mistakes and asking that the media respect Shriver and their children. As he pointed out, "I ask that the media respect my wife and children through this extremely difficult time. While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not."
I can't say the same for the housekeeper, who seems eager for revenge and cheap publicity. So much for her years of "loyal service" to the family.
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