Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals He Secretly Underwent Surgery Last Week

Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed that he secretly underwent surgery just last week. During a new episode of his Arnold’s Pump Club podcast, the 76-year-old actor iconic actor — and former California governor — shared the news and assured his fans that he’s recovering well.

“Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker,” Schwarzenegger explained, then noting that he bounced back rather quickly. “First of all, I want you to know I’m doing great! I had my surgery on Monday, and by Friday, I was already at a big environmental event with my friend and fellow fitness crusader Jane Fonda. Nobody would ever have thought I started the week with a surgery.”

Schwarzenegger also made sure to “thank my whole team at the Cleveland Clinic,” including “all of the doctors and nurses” who “took amazing care of me and made the surgery as painless as possible.”

Previously, the Terminator star underwent three open-heart surgeries. He had two procedures done in 1997 to replace his pulmonic valve and aortic valve. He went back in for surgery to get both replaced again in 2018 and 2020.

Finally, Schwarzenegger spoke candidly to his fans and podcast followers, offering some insight into why he chose to open up and share about his health journey. “I could have kept it a secret. But I know that we have more than 750,000 subscribers now — the village is a city now — and a lot of you are probably dealing with your own health challenges,” he said. “I want you to know you aren’t alone. And if you’re putting something off out of fear, I hope I inspire you to listen to your doctors and take care of yourself.”

“This village is a place for us to be open and honest because it’s impossible to be truly positive when you keep everything bottled up,” Schwarzenegger continued. “That’s what Arnold’s Pump Club is all about. There are weights that none of us can lift alone. But together, we can lift anything – we can lift up the world. You are never alone here.”