THAL, Austria — For a day at least, Arnold Schwarzenegger could forget about his divorce and bask in the adulation of a sympathetic crowd.
As an oompah band played, the action star turned politician inaugurated a museum dedicated to him in his native Austria, setting off cheers Friday as he pulled a string to unveil a bronze statue of a young Arnie flexing in the skintight trunks of his Mr. Universe days.
It’s a far cry from the kind of reception he is getting in the United States.
Schwarzenegger is under fire back home since acknowledging this year that he fathered a child with a woman who worked as his family’s housekeeper. The revelation led Maria Shriver, his wife of 25 years, to file for divorce. He’s in the headlines these days more for his personal problems than his professional exploits as bodybuilder, Hollywood star and California governor.
In an inaugural speech, Schwarzenegger made only passing reference to the unwelcome media attention, urging young people seeking success to view him as a role model.
“Personal success is the result of determination, hard work and stubbornness,” he said.
