On August 22, the Schwarzenegger family shared a joyful day by the water in Cape Cod, thanks to Katherine Schwarzenegger’s Instagram post showcasing their outing. Among the cherished family moments, Christopher Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, attracted attention as he displayed the impressive results of his ongoing weight-loss journey. Christopher began this personal transformation in 2019 while living in Australia, realizing that his weight was limiting his ability to enjoy everyday activities during a significant trip.
He reflected on this period, saying,
“I started in 2019, when I was living in Australia,”
and further added,
“I was on this big trip. I made it a big [deal] like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go out and do all this stuff, be in Australia,’ and I just saw how much my weight was prohibiting me from doing the everyday activities.”
—Christopher Schwarzenegger
Early Struggles and Ongoing Dedication to Health
Christopher has faced insecurities about his body since his teenage years. In high school, he recalled feeling out of place because of the meal deliveries he relied on. Though his transformation has taken time and experimentation, the 27-year-old remains committed to improving his health and wellbeing. Despite the progress he’s made, Christopher humbly stated,
“It’s not an overnight thing, but it took a lot of trial and error. And even still to this day, when [you see] before and after photos, I don’t feel like I’m an after yet.”
—Christopher Schwarzenegger
One notable success has been losing 30 pounds after giving up bread during Lent. Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed pride in his son‘s dedication, describing the process as a personal journey that came from self-discipline and motivation. Arnold shared in an interview,
“I could never go and say to him, you’re overweight,”
and continued,
“We just kept introducing healthy foods. We introduced him always to the gym and all of that kind of stuff. And then, out of nowhere, he decided that he wanted to be lean. And now he is. So that is of course fantastic, the self-discipline and the self-motivation. I always felt one day it will have to come from him—and it did.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger
Christopher’s Role Within the Schwarzenegger Family and Career
Christopher is the youngest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. He has three siblings: Katherine, Christina, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Arnold also has a son named Joseph Baena from an affair with the family housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena. While Christopher keeps a relatively low profile compared to his famous family members, he has made occasional public appearances, such as the premiere of his father’s series Fubar in June and the screening of his brother Patrick’s season of The White Lotus in February.
Beyond family, Christopher serves as the Vice Chair of the Special Olympics Founders Council, a nonprofit organization founded by his grandmother Eunice Kennedy Shriver. His professional life includes a role as Director of Development at Indus Valley Media, a film and TV production company based in Los Angeles. Before this, he worked at creative content agency Malka and collaborated with sports psychologist Trevor Moawad. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 with a degree in psychology.
Arnold has publicly praised Christopher’s achievements, particularly marking the milestones reached during the pandemic. Reflecting on his son‘s graduation, Arnold posted on Instagram,
“Christopher, you are a champion and I love you,”
and added,
“I know your graduation from Michigan wasn’t the big celebration you dreamed about for years, but walking across a stage isn’t what makes me so proud of you: it’s your compassion, your hard work, your vision, your critical thinking, and your selflessness that make me burst with pride. I can’t wait to watch you keep climbing and succeeding.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Transition from Fatherhood to Grandfatherhood
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s children with ex-wife Maria Shriver – Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher – have all grown up, shifting his role from father to grandfather. He now cherishes spending time with his grandchildren: Lyla, Eloise, and Ford, who are the children of Katherine and her husband, Chris Pratt. Arnold shared with Jimmy Kimmel in 2022 how much simpler and enjoyable being a grandfather is compared to fatherhood, saying,
“It’s the easiest thing to be a grandfather,”
and described his time playing with his granddaughter Lyla as brief and joyful,
“They come over to the house, you play with Lyla for around an hour or two, put her on the horse, put her with the dog. And after two hours, they leave.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger
Maria Shriver’s Influence on Parenting and Co-Parenting
Maria Shriver married Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1986 and filed for divorce in 2011 after discovering Arnold fathered a child with their housekeeper. Despite a complex family history, she is praised by son-in-law Chris Pratt for her effective parenting and co-parenting methods. Chris praised Maria’s approach to raising disciplined and respectful children amid Hollywood’s challenges. He observed,
“She and Arnold raised four amazing kids, and that’s not always an easy thing to do,”
and expressed a desire to learn from her, adding,
“You see people in Hollywood or people who’ve got a lot of privilege, and they end up kind of raising rotten kids. So I just want to kind of ask her everything. ‘What’d you do? How did you not spoil them? How did you not ruin them?’”
—Chris Pratt
Chris emphasized Maria’s expectations around manners and accountability, saying,
“I think she holds them accountable. When Maria walks in the room, you stand up. She’s big on manners, and she’s big on accountability, and she’s deeply rooted in her faith. These are all things that I definitely want to take and implement in the rearing of our children.”
—Chris Pratt
Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Journey in Acting
Born in 1993, Patrick Schwarzenegger is the oldest son of Arnold and Maria. Despite his family’s fame, Patrick credits his brother-in-law Chris Pratt with guidance and support securing significant acting roles. Reflecting on preparing for his role as Donny Mitchell in Amazon Prime’s The Terminal List, Patrick recalled,
“I remember when Chris said, ‘Hey you know there’s this young role, Donny Mitchell, you’ll be the youngest in the platoon,”
and advised,
“But if you want to get this role, I need you to go and try to get into character and really get this. I need you to gain 20 pounds and start tactical training, and know how they move, the body language, all this stuff.”
—Patrick Schwarzenegger
His opportunity to train with Navy SEALs was a “dream come true,” according to Patrick. He has since landed roles such as Saxon Ratliff in The White Lotus and Tim Tebow in FX’s American Sports Story. Despite his family background, Patrick insists on his hard work, stating,
“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,”
and highlighted,
“They’re not seeing that I’ve had 10 years of acting classes, put on school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on.”
—Patrick Schwarzenegger
In his personal life, Patrick recently proposed to model Abby Champion in December 2023, soon to become husband and wife.
Katherine Schwarzenegger’s Family Life and Motherhood
Katherine Schwarzenegger, the eldest of Arnold and Maria’s children, was born in 1989. She is an accomplished author and mother to three children with husband Chris Pratt. They married in 2019, and welcomed their first daughter, Lyla, in August 2020, followed by Eloise in March 2022 and their son Ford in November 2024. Katherine describes motherhood as a pivotal and fulfilling chapter in her life. She wrote,
“When I became a mother, I felt like everything in my life had led me right to that baby being put on my chest, and it was perfect,”
explaining,
“Mom is the title I have always wanted and the role that I have looked forward to for as long as I can remember.”
—Katherine Schwarzenegger
In addition to her biological children, Katherine’s family includes a stepson, Jack, from Chris Pratt’s previous marriage to Anna Faris.
Chris Pratt’s Commitment to Family Amid Challenges
Chris Pratt consistently prioritizes family, despite facing criticism on social media. In 2021, Chris was met with backlash after expressing gratitude to Katherine for their healthy daughter Lyla, a comment some perceived as insensitive toward his first child, Jack, who was born prematurely. He shared the emotional toll the criticism took on him in an interview, stating,
“A bunch of articles came out and said, ‘That’s so cringeworthy. I can’t believe Chris Pratt would thank her for a healthy daughter when his first child was born premature. That’s such a dig at his ex-wife,”
and added,
“And I’m like, That is f–ked up. My son’s gonna read that one day. He’s 9. And it’s etched in digital stone. It really f–king bothered me, dude. I cried about it. I was like, I hate that these blessings in my life are—to the people close to me—a real burden.”
—Chris Pratt
Jack Pratt’s Early Medical Journey and Teenage Years
Jack Pratt, Chris and Anna’s son, was born two months prematurely in August 2012 and required time in the neonatal intensive care unit. Anna Faris reflected on the early years managing Jack’s medical needs, sharing,
“The day came when I got to take Jack home,”
and described,
“the first years were filled with doctor’s appointments, five surgeries, physical therapy, a lot of laughter—because Jack was and is the most adorable cutest thing I could ever have imagined.”
—Anna Faris
Now a teenager, Jack continues to seek guidance from his parents. Anna explained,
“I think as parents, we’re always questioning, ‘What are we doing? Are we giving good guidance? Are we raising kids with a good foundation?’”
She expressed pride when Jack asks for advice, saying,
“Those indicators make me feel like, ‘Okay, I’m on the right path here,’
and continued,
And I’m really proud of him.”
—Anna Faris
The Growing Family of Katherine and Chris: Lyla, Eloise, and Ford
Lyla Marie Schwarzenegger Pratt was born in August 2020, named partly after Katherine’s mother, Maria Shriver. Chris Pratt has shared glimpses of their family life, joking about his stepson Jack’s patience with Lyla. He noted,
“She always wants to pull his glasses off his face, and he’s very patient with her. He’s a great big brother.”
—Chris Pratt
In March 2022, the couple welcomed their second daughter, Eloise Christina Schwarzenegger Pratt. Chris described himself proudly as a “girl dad 2.0” and shared how Lyla adjusted to her new role as a big sister:
“My oldest daughter is adjusting very well to being a big sister. At first, she was kinda like, ‘So, what’s the deal with that thing? What up with that? Look at me.’ And now, she’s very much embraced the idea. She constantly wants to hold her sister, and she’s just very, very sweet. That’s the stuff that’s important. It’s the stuff that life is made of, and I feel incredibly blessed and filled with joy.”
—Chris Pratt
Their youngest, Ford Fitzgerald Schwarzenegger Pratt, was born on November 8, 2024, adding joy to the growing family. Katherine and Chris expressed their gratitude on Instagram after his arrival, writing,
“Mama and baby are doing well and Ford’s siblings are thrilled by his arrival,”
concluding with,
“We feel so blessed and grateful.”
—Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt
Christopher Schwarzenegger’s Public Life and Philanthropic Work
Christopher Schwarzenegger, while keeping relatively private, serves an important role as Vice Chair of the Special Olympics Founders Council, honoring his grandmother Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s legacy. Besides this, he is actively involved in the entertainment industry as Director of Development at Indus Valley Media in Los Angeles. His previous professional experiences include roles at creative content agency Malka and work with noted sports psychologist Trevor Moawad. With a psychology degree from the University of Michigan, Christopher combines academic knowledge with practical work geared toward both media and nonprofit sectors.
His younger sister Christina Schwarzenegger, born in 1991, is an executive producer known for documentaries like Take Your Pills (2018) and its follow-up Take Your Pills: Xanax (2022), continuing the family’s broad involvement in creative and philanthropic fields.
Joseph Baena’s Story as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son from an Affair
Joseph Baena, born in 1997, is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son from an affair with the family’s housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena. Arnold did not become aware he was Joseph’s father until several years later. He recounted in his 2023 docuseries Arnold,
“I had an affair in ’96,”
and described grappling with secrecy,
“In the beginning, I really didn’t know. I just started kind of feeling. The older he got, the more it became clear to me, and it was then just really a matter of how do you keep this quiet? How do you keep this a secret?”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger
While admitting the affair was a “major failure,” Arnold emphasized Joseph’s importance and his pride in him, saying,
“It was wrong what I did,”
but added,
“But I don’t want to make Joseph feel that he’s not welcome in this world because he’s very much welcome in this world. And I love him, and he’s turned out to be an extraordinary young man.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger
Joseph has followed his father’s footsteps in fitness and acting, and also works in real estate. He appeared as a contestant on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars, showcasing his diverse talents beyond the Schwarzenegger legacy.
Anna Faris Reflects on Her Marriage with Chris Pratt
Anna Faris married Chris Pratt in 2009, and the couple separated after eight years. She has spoken candidly about their relationship, indicating it was not as perfect as it appeared publicly. On her 2021 podcast Unqualified, Anna stated,
“I’m sure things were more transparent with my relationship with Ben,”
and added,
“but with Chris, I think that we both protected that imagery even within our close circles.”
—Anna Faris
Faris, now married to cinematographer Michael Barrett and stepmother to his two children, also addressed the challenges of competitiveness in relationships within the entertainment industry. She shared,
“My two other marriages were with actors, and I don’t think we did a great job of eliminating competitiveness—or at least I didn’t,”
and admitted,
“Being a proud person and not wanting to reveal vulnerability, any hints of competitiveness and comparison, I didn’t handle that very well, I don’t think, and I hope I’ve grown from that.”
—Anna Faris
