Joseph Baena, the 27-year-old son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, was not invited to half-brother Patrick Schwarzenegger’s wedding, according to a report by TMZ.
Sources told the outlet that Baena was left off the guest list for Patrick, 31, and Abby Champion’s Sept. 6 ceremony at the Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club in Idaho because he “has no relationship with that side of the Schwarzenegger fam.” The Post reported that representatives for Joseph, Arnold and Patrick had been contacted for comment but did not provide statements.
Patrick and Champion exchanged vows at a venue overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene. Guests included Patrick’s parents, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 78, and Maria Shriver, 69, and his siblings Katherine, 35, Christina, 34, and Christopher, 27. Other attendees noted in reports were Champion’s parents, Laura and Greg Champion, actor Chris Pratt, and Patrick’s co-star from The White Lotus, Jason Isaacs.
Photographs from the event showed the groom in a cream tuxedo jacket paired with black dress pants and the bride in a sleeveless cream gown with a floor-length veil. Coverage of the ceremony described a lakeside celebration at the Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club.
Baena is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son with Mildred Baena, who was the Schwarzeneggers’ housekeeper. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver divorced after Shriver filed for divorce in 2011 following disclosure of Arnold’s affair with Baena. In a 2023 interview with People, Schwarzenegger described the infidelity as his “f–k-up” and said the family had tried to shelter the children from its effects.
Reports and previous public moments suggest Baena’s relationship with his half-siblings has been distant. In June, all five of Schwarzenegger’s children attended the Los Angeles red carpet premiere for FUBAR Season 2; photographers captured Arnold posing with his four older children together and then posing separately with Joseph. Page Six and other outlets have reported that Baena is close to his father but not to Arnold’s other children.
In March, Baena explained his choice to use his mother’s surname on Good Morning Britain, saying he wanted to establish his own path and do things independently. "My family is very big in supporting from afar and not being so hands-on," he said, adding that he values figuring things out on his own as he grows into adulthood.
The TMZ report was the first public account indicating Baena’s exclusion from the wedding guest list. Representatives for the family did not immediately provide statements to media outlets following the report.
The wedding and the reporting around it come amid continuing public interest in the Schwarzenegger family dynamics, which have been the subject of media coverage since the revelation of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s affair and the subsequent divorce in 2011. Journalists and media outlets have periodically reported on the siblings’ interactions at public events and on statements made by family members about privacy and personal relationships.