Patrick Schwarzenegger has finally broken his silence on the intense backlash surrounding The White Lotus season 3, admitting he was completely caught off guard by just how far the show went, especially with the incest plot twist.
The 31-year-old actor, who is the son of Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, plays Saxon in the HBO hit series, and viewers were left speechless when his character got entangled in a controversial sexual storyline involving his younger brother Lochlan.
The drama really escalated in episode 5 when Saxon and Lochlan kissed after a wild full moon party in Thailand. But it didn’t stop there. In episode 6, flashbacks revealed the brothers in a full-blown sexual situation that had fans, critics, and even Patrick himself doing a double take. Patrick’s character also appeared in a full-frontal scene, showing his bare bum on screen, making headlines and sparking heated debates online.
In a new interview with CBS, Patrick admitted that while he knew nudity and sexual content were possible, he didn’t realize the depths the storyline would reach. “When I was auditioning, they had said, ‘Are you okay with performing things sexually? Are you okay being nude at times?’ So, I knew an idea of where it could go,” he explained. “I didn’t know to what extent the show would go,” he added.
Even his famous dad, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had a strong reaction to the performance. Arnold confessed he didn’t even recognize Patrick at first while watching the show. Speaking to the BBC, he called it “wild” and shared how impressed and proud he was: “It was really so amazing to watch his performance because I almost didn’t recognize him. There were so many things that I’d never seen before, and I said, ‘Where did this come from?’” Despite the shock, Arnold said he felt “so proud” of how far his son has come as an actor, calling him “extraordinary.”
Patrick joked in the CBS interview, “It would be a little bit alarming if he did recognize a lot of those characteristics,” when asked about Arnold’s take on the provocative performance.
Away from the screen, Patrick is living a far more grounded life. He’s currently engaged to longtime girlfriend Abby Champion. The two started dating back in 2015 and officially got engaged at the end of 2023. While juggling acting and modeling gigs, the couple has been busy planning their wedding. Earlier this year, the duo even stripped down for a sultry SKIMS campaign, Patrick posed shirtless while Abby stunned in sheer lace lingerie.
Patrick Schwarzenegger’s White Lotus scenes around incest have certainly stirred conversation, but they’ve also put him squarely in the spotlight as a serious and bold actor willing to take risks. Whether fans loved or hated the shocking scenes, they’re talking, and that’s exactly what The White Lotus thrives on.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
