Schwarzenegger's Dad Suspected He Was Gay as a Teen and Beat Him

It's tough to imagine anyone taking a belt and beating The Terminator or Conan the Barbarian because they suspected they were gay. And yet, that's exactly what happened.

Gay Star News reports that Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed in an interview that his father beat him with a belt when he was younger because he suspected that he was gay.

"He ran after me with a belt and beat me," Schwarzenegger said in an interview with Xposure.

Schwarzenegger's father's suspicions stemmed from "The Terminator" actor's early obsession with body building. As a teen, young Arnold had posters of bodybuilders on the wall of his bedroom to give him inspiration for his workouts.

That inspiration would pay off for Schwarzenegger, who started weight training at 15, won the Mr. Universe title at age 20 and went on to win Mr. Olympia several times.

Although less violent than his father, Schwarzenegger's mother also expressed concerns about her son's sexuality as a teen.

"I don't know if mum thought I was gay, or if she just thought there was something off. And thought "let's catch it early."

"She asked the doctor, 'Can you help me? I don't know if there's something wrong with my son because his wall is full of naked men. All of Arnold's friends have pictures of girls above their bed. And Arnold has no girls'"

Schwarzenegger has four children with Maria Shriver and one with his former housekeeper Mildred Baena. He and Shriver have been separated since 2011.