Arnold Schwarzenegger has revisited historical allegations of groping in a new documentary series about his life and career.

In 2003, shortly before his re-election as governor of California, the Los Angeles Times published a report detailing claims of groping by six women across three decades.

Speaking at the time, Schwarzenegger dismissed the allegations before later conceding he had “behaved badly” on film sets. “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,” he said.

He added: “But now I recognise that I offended people. I want to say to them I am deeply sorry about that and I apologise because that’s not what I’m trying to do.”

In the forthcoming three-part documentary series Arnold, Schwarzenegger says his initial reaction was “defensive”.

“Today, I can look at it and kind of say, it doesn’t really matter what time it is. If it’s the Muscle Beach days of 40 years ago, or today, that this was wrong. It was bullshit. Forget all the excuses, it was wrong.”

The documentary is timed to coincide with his new action series, Fubar. In an interview with Twins co-star Danny DeVito to promote both shows, Schwarzenegger said he did not believe in an afterlife, and that, after death, “you’re six feet under. Anyone that tells you something else is a fucking liar.”

He continued by saying he believed heaven was a “fantasy”.