Actor jokes about hot night with girlfriend as authorities threaten handcuffs

Arnold Schwarzenegger faced a humorous yet eventful airport ordeal in Munich after his Terminator-themed Audemars Piguet wristwatch triggered a customs investigation. The luxury watch, intended for auction to benefit climate initiatives, was discovered during a security scan. Authorities detained Schwarzenegger for hours, initiating criminal tax proceedings. Despite the drama, the actor addressed the incident at a fundraiser, delighting the audience with an X-rated response.

In a statement, the Munich customs office revealed the initiation of tax proceedings due to the unregistered import of the watch. Schwarzenegger, undeterred, later made light of the situation during the fundraising event at Stanglwirt Resort in Austria.

Addressing the crowd, he joked, “You always start things with a lot of drama. That’s what you saw yesterday. And do you believe that? That all of a sudden I was in handcuffs? Not because of the watch or the customs office but because I had a hot night with my girlfriend Heather last night. It was unbelievable.”

The 76-year-old actor, dating Heather Milligan for over a decade, humorously shared the security officer’s threat of handcuffs, quipping, “The woman at the customs office said, ‘If you don’t behave, I’m going to put you in handcuffs.’ And I said, ‘That’s OK. That’s a great deal because usually I pay $500 for that.’”

Describing the experience as ‘wild,’ Schwarzenegger continued to jest about hiding a second watch, concluding with a lighthearted take on the customs investigation.

The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative criticized the investigation as incompetent, labeling it a “total comedy of errors.” The actor agreed to pay customs on his personal watch, and the auction ultimately fetched €270,000 ($294,000).

The case will proceed to the responsible criminal and fines office in Augsburg, leaving Schwarzenegger and his audience with a memorable tale of customs chaos.