What Sylvester Stallone's Chaotic Relationship With His Father Was Really Like

The following article includes allegations of child abuse.

Sylvester Stallone's tumultuous childhood began from the moment he was born. In his 2023 Netflix documentary, "Sly," he explained that his mother, Jackie Stallone, boarded a bus while nine months pregnant and went into labor during the ride. Eventually, passengers managed to rush Jackie to the charity ward of a hospital, where the doctor made a grave error in delivery that caused the paralysis of half his mouth. As a result, Sylvester developed a permanent snarl and a speech impediment, both of which naturally became fodder for his childhood bullies.

To make matters worse, things weren't so great at home either. The "Rocky" star's parents had an explosive relationship and struggled to make ends meet. Eventually, they decided they couldn't handle the toll of raising children, so they dropped Sylvester and his brother, Frank Stallone Jr., off at an elderly home for five years. The actor got candid about that dark time in his life when he appeared on his daughters, Sophia and Sistine Stallone's, "Unwaxed" podcast.

Sylvester started by sharing that his parents may have been victims of generational trauma. The action star detailed, "My average friends were about 90 [years old]. At the time, it wasn't a big deal. But when you look back at it, it wasn't exactly a smart choice." He added, "In fairness to myself, I wasn't raised in the right way. My brain has always been flipped sideways." When he was five, Sylvester moved back in with his parents, which sadly only brought more trouble as he dealt with his abusive father — especially following their divorce.

Sylvester Stallone's abusive upbringing toughened him up for Hollywood. In his documentary, the actor explained that he developed a high tolerance for mental and physical pain because of his abusive upbringing. Sylvester's father, Frank Stallone, was a polo player, and that talent carried over to him. When the "Expendables" star was 13, he competed in the sport on a national level, which should've made his dad's heart swell with joy. Unfortunately, Frank reportedly began to feel insecure about his own achievements as a result. 

At one point, he even stormed onto the field in the middle of Sylvester's run. Frank then roughly dragged him off his horse, sent him tumbling to the ground, and left his son to absorb the painful fall after taking the animal away. After that, Sylvester couldn't bring himself to play the sport until he was 40. According to El País US, Jackie Stallone described her former husband as "the most sadistic man God has ever allowed on this earth." 

He barraged his son with verbal and physical abuse, belittling him with phrases like: "Why can't you be smarter, you'll never be anything, you're born with paralysis, why don't you join the Navy, you'll never make it in school." Sylvester wrote one of these phrases into "Rocky," and it became an iconic line: "You were born without much brain, so you better start using your body."

Sylvester Stallone is no stranger to channeling his trauma into his work. In "Sly," he revealed that his father, Frank Stallone, inspired his explosive performance in "Rambo." Further, "Rocky" director John Herzfeld also appeared in the documentary and revealed that after the film's success, Frank approached him with the idea of making an eerily similar movie that revolved around boxing. Herzfeld didn't pursue the venture because he believed Frank was trying to one-up Sylvester's masterpiece. He advised Frank to share the idea with his son, to no avail. 

Apparently, Frank had already informed Sylvester about his plans, and the actor was vehemently against the idea because it veered too close to his creation. Although they had a strained and complicated relationship, the father-son duo still managed to have a heart-to-heart when Frank was nearing the end of his life and offered Sylvester a rather ironic pearl of wisdom: "Learn to love and forgive people."

Sylvester shared his reaction to this advice in the Netflix documentary: "I said, 'Really? That just comes to you now as the f***ing angels are about to whisper in your ear. He goes, 'Yeah you should learn,'" (via Yahoo! UK). Then, the two shared a sweet moment as they laughed over the bizarre timing of this advice. For his part, Sylvester has five kids but he had a complicated relationship with his late son, Sage Stallone, that mainly stemmed from Sage feeling like he could never live up to his father's legacy.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.