Arnold Schwarzenegger on '60 Minutes': Hollywood Reacts

Arnold Schwarzenegger's PR ground assault in support of his new memoir, Total Recall, kicked off last night with an interview on 60 Minutes.

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Talking to correspondent Lesley Stahl, the Terminator star and former California governor admitted to not just having cheated on wife Maria Shriver with the family's longtime housekeeper -- a tryst that produced an illegitimate son -- but of having carried on several affairs, including one with Brigitte Nielsen.

Communication, apparently, was a sticking point in their relationship, with Schwarzenegger also admitting to having undergone open heart surgery without telling Shriver, and not even revealing to her he was planning on running for governor until the week of his big political announcement.

Perhaps most shocking of Schwarzenegger's claims was that it took "five or six years" before he realized that family housekeeper Mildred Baena had given birth to a son who had half his DNA. 

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“It just appeared to me there was something off, that he started looking like me,” Schwarzenegger said of his son. “So that’s when I kind of got it ... it was never discussed. But, I mean, I put the things together here.”

Reaction to the interview has been largely negative, with Schwarzenegger being widely derided as lacking self-awareness, humility, and, some argue, honesty in sharing his personal recollections.

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Here is a sampling of Twitter reactions from promiment Hollywood and media figures.

 

Iam ready for Mad Men. I miss it.I need it.Arnold on 60 Minutes was good. Lots of denial.But Jon Hamm is better.

— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) October 1, 2012

Arnold Schwarzenegger was having affairs all over town. You'd think HE was the Kennedy!

— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) October 1, 2012

I give Arnold Schwarzenegger credit. He got through the entire "60 Minutes" interview without groping Lesley Stahl.

— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) October 1, 2012

Why isn't Arnold Schwarzenegger's autobiography called I'LL BE BOOK?

— Brian Lynch (@BrianLynch) October 1, 2012

the Arnold Schwarzenegger interview on 60 Minutes...holy WOW. I am totally never gonna marry that guy. EVER

— John Berman (@johnsberman) October 1, 2012

Sickening? “@60minutes: Arnold says he hadn’t told Maria about Joseph earlier because he was worried “that it would get out.” #60Minutes”

— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) September 30, 2012

Can't believe Arnold interview.Thought he was so media savvy .he was awful. Couldn't wait to read book b/4 .now, I may pass.no introspection

— Harvey Levin(@HarveyLevinTMZ) October 1, 2012