Stallone’s son Sage died at 36 in 2012 due to coronary artery disease linked to atherosclerosis
NEED TO KNOW
- Sylvester Stallone opened up in a recent interview about the pain of losing his son
- His son Sage died at 36 in 2012 due to coronary artery disease linked to atherosclerosis
- “It was just pain and grief and guilt. It was not human,” he said
Sylvester Stallone is opening up about the pain of losing his son.
The actor, 80, recalled his son Sage dying at 36 due to coronary artery disease linked to atherosclerosis, resulting in a heart attack, in an interview with The New York Times published on Saturday, Sept. 26.
“The thing is, you have so many episodes of guilt. Like: What could I have done? Should I have been there? What if I did that? If I went right or went left?” Stallone said.
He recalled learning of his son’s death over an abrupt phone call.
“I’ll never forget, it was so cold: My mother’s new husband, who I’d never even met, who was a doctor, called me and goes: ‘Sly, he’s gone. Sage — he’s gone,’ ” he said. “I went, ‘Gone where?’ ‘He died, he’s gone. I’m sorry.’ Click.”
Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty
The Rocky star said that while he felt he was keeping it together in the following days, he became overcome with emotions about a week after his loss.
“Because of the funeral, dealing with the mother, dealing with your life in the present, it just takes you into a whole other world. You go: Wow, I’m holding it together. When’s it going to happen? And then about a week later, I was all alone in my room, and a wail came out of me I’ve never heard before or since,” the actor said.
“It was just pain and grief and guilt. It was not human,” he added.
Stallone went on to praise his late son, calling him “a very kind kid.”
“He had a great mother. He would have done wonderful things in the future. I just had no idea that he had something that you would expect a very advanced adult to have. But no, you don’t get over that,” he said.
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Sage, whom Stallone shared with his ex Sasha Czack, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on July 13, 2012.
A rep for Stallone said at the time, “Sylvester Stallone is devastated and grief-stricken over the sudden loss of his son Sage Stallone. His compassion and thoughts are with Sage’s mother, Sasha. Sage was a very talented and wonderful young man, his loss will be felt forever.”
The Rambo actor is also father to son Seargeoh with Czack, and daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet with Jennifer Flavin.
Credit: Ryan Emberley/Getty
Stallone and Sage shared the screen in Rocky V, with Sage playing the son of Stallone’s titular character.
The 1990 movie centered on Rocky’s difficult relationship with his son, who feels Rocky spends more time training than with his family.
Stallone admitted that his real-life family dynamics informed the writing of the movie in the 2023 Netflix documentary Sly.
“I try to take something that actually is what I wish I had done in real life, but I wasn’t able to do that in reality. And so quite often I would do it theatrically, magically. … A lot of that is true. Unfortunately, you put things before your family. And the repercussions are quite radical and devastating,” he said.
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