Schwarzenegger Admits To Improper Conduct

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been forced to admit to sexually harassing women on movie sets, after a published report accused him of making the unwelcome gestures.

In a move which could jeopardise Schwarzenegger's bid to become Governor of California, the LOS ANGELES TIMES today (02OCT03) published a story quoting six women who claim they came were groped by the muscle-clad Austrian on movie sets, spanning from the 1970s to 2000.

And the report became the focus of Schwarzenegger's visit to San Diego, California, this morning (02OCT03), as he made one of the stops on his state-wide tour to drum up support before the 7 October (03) recall election.

Wearing a 'Join Arnold' campaign jacket, Schwarzenegger admitted to the assembled crowd, "Yes, I have behaved badly sometimes. Yes, it is true that I was on rowdy movie sets and I have done things that were not right, which I thought then was playful.

"But now I recognise that I have offended people. And those people that I have offended I want to say to them I am deeply sorry about that. And I apologise because this is not what I try to do."

The movie star's apology was welcomed with loud cheers from the crowd, many of whom declared their unwavering support for him.

Three of the women in the Los Angeles Times article accused the Terminator star of grabbing their breasts, while a fourth said he reached under her skirt and gripped her buttocks. A fifth woman said Schwarzenegger groped her and tried to remove her bathing suit, while a sixth accused the screen star of pulling her onto his lap before asking if a certain sexual act had ever been performed on her.

Although the women spoke to the publication about their claims, none of them ever filed any legal action against Schwarzenegger.