Arnold Schwarzenegger has opened up about his tough childhood, revealing that his father used to hit him because he thought he was gay.

The actor was making an appearance on 60 Minutes when he said: "He ran after me with a belt and beat me."

Arnold's mother also called the doctor for help because she was worried that "something was off".

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Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that his father used to beat him

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

"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.'"

The actor with his girlfriend Heather Milligan

Arnold, 69, was recalling his difficult childhood as he promoted his autobiography Total Recall. The interview also prompted him to admit that he had been unfaithful to his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver, with various women.

Apart from fathering a child with his former housekeeper Mildred Baena, Arnold also had an affair with Hollywood star Brigitte Nielsen.

"I had others," he confessed. "I did feel bad about it. They were mistakes. This is my failure. My screw-ups. It's something that's between Maria and me. She knew. I'm not perfect."

Arnold and his ex-wife Maria Shriver have four children together

Arnold and Maria, who have four children together, separated in 2011 after Maria discovered that her husband had another son, Joseph Baena. The actor only became aware of his son's existence when the little boy was seven and started to resemble him.

Speaking to Howard Stern last year, Arnold said of his son: "He's terrific and he totally understands the situation. So, it all has worked out… It's a very tough situation for him. It's a very tough situation for my kids, very tough situation for my family. It was tough for everybody. But it has happened and now we have to figure it out, right?"