California Governor Arnold <strong>Schwarzenegger</strong> holds hands with his wife Maria Shriver as he walks to address the media after voting in the midterm elections at the Crestwood Hills Recreation Center in Los Angeles, California in this November 7, 2006 file photo.Reuters
As it turns out, Arnold Schwarzenegger's affair with his housekeeper was just one of numerous secrets he kept from his wife.
The actor and former California governor has revealed he had a "hot affair" with actress Brigitte Nielsen earlier in his relationship with Maria Shriver, and was later even reluctant to tell his wife about needing major heart surgery and his decision to run for political office, according to the Associated Press.
Schwarzenegger, who made these confessions in a new biography titled Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, and during an interview on 60 Minutes, explained he learned to deal with things by keeping information to himself, and thus became "an expert in living in denial."
He said he kept key decisions from Shriver because he was afraid she would overreact, and he "didn't want endless conversation about it at home."
It appears Schwarzenegger even had difficulty admitting certain things to himself; he told 60 Minutes he never actually had a conversation with his housekeeper, Mildred Baena, about their son. He merely gave Baena extra money after he began noticing a resemblance when the boy turned around age 8, the Associated Press reports.
In spite all of this, he expresses hope of winning back Shriver, who filed for divorce in July.
According to USA Today, he refers to Shriver as "the perfect wife," and notes in his book that he is still in love with her. "I am optimistic that we will come together again."
Online commenters aren't buying Schwarzenegger's remorse.
"Does he seriously think he's doing [his family] any favors with this tell all book!" one commenter wrote on the Yahoo website.
"Isn't it ironic that those who keep secrets from family and friends don't seem to have a problem writing tell-all books for fat advances," another wrote.
If Shriver's contemplating taking Schwarzenegger back, she's not saying.
But who knows? Some have controversially suggested that infidelity and secrets can actually help a marriage.
Wency Leung