In March 2022, Joseph Baena shared a birthday tribute to his mother, Mildred, on Instagram.
The post followed his appearance in the March issue of Men's Health. In that interview, Baena discussed his close relationship with his mother and the difficult period when his family became the subject of widespread publicity.
He also explained why he continued to use the Baena surname as he pursued his own work. His account put his mother at the centre of that part of his life, beyond the attention surrounding his father, Arnold Schwarzenegger.