Sylvester Stallone’s documentary, Sly, recently premiered on Netflix, where he touched upon his relationship with his son, Sage Stallone, who passed away on July 13, 2012, at the age of 36. Following his untimely death, the media began some speculations regarding the circumstances surrounding his passing. The First Blood actor had to step in and request them to stop spreading such rumors and allow the family to grieve in peace.
Stallone’s son made a number of appearances alongside his father, most notably playing Rocky’s son Robert Balboa in Rocky V. In Sly, Stallone drew some parallels between the father-son relationship portrayed in the film and their real-life relationship.
How Did Sylvester Stallone’s Son Sage Stallone Die?
Sage Stallone was found dead at his Los Angeles residence. Before the authorities found anything conclusive, media outlets including TMZ and Page Six reported the cause of death as a drug overdose and cited their source as an insider from the LAPD. Other news outlets also allegedly gathered information from people close to Sage Stallone, who revealed his addiction to prescription medication.
While no foul play was reported, LAPD and the coroner began an investigation into the cause of death. During the progress of this investigation, unsubstantiated rumors began circulating on celebrity websites. Sylvester Stallone had to make a public appeal to end the “speculative and questionable reporting” by the media surrounding his son’s passing. In his statement to CNN, The Expendables actor made a heartfelt plea:
“Because when a parent loses a child there is no greater pain. Therefore I am imploring people to respect my wonderfully talented son’s memory and feel compassion for his loving mother Sasha, because this agonizing loss will be felt for the rest of our lives. Sage was our first child and the center of our universe and I am humbly begging for all to have my son’s memory and soul left in peace.”
A month after the tragic death, the Los Angeles County coroner stated heart disease from atherosclerosis as the cause of death. The toxicology test came back negative for any unusual levels of life-threatening drugs in Sage Stallone’s body. Sage Stallone’s friends later revealed his unhealthy food and smoking habits. They also shared that he had a complicated relationship with his father.
On July 21, 2012, Sage Stallone’s family gathered for a memorial service at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Los Angeles. Sylvester Stallone, along with his wife Jennifer Flavin, and ex-wife and Sage’s mother, Sasha Czack, were among the attendees. Sage Stallone was laid to rest at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
Sylvester Stallone Reflected On His Relationship With His Son
In Rocky V, Sylvester Stallone’s character is back where he began, on the streets, and attempts to regain his former glory by training a new protege, Tommy Gunn. The film portrays a conflicted son, Robert Balboa, who feels neglected by his father in favor of his career. Unfortunately, Stallone’s real-life story is not much different from the Rocky story. In fact, he admitted drawing inspiration from his own life for Rocky V.
While Stallone was able to mend his relationship with his son on-screen, the Demolition Man actor painfully confessed that he couldn’t achieve the same in real life. Stallone shared in his 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. […] You know, unfortunately, you put things before your family, and the repercussions are quite radical and devastating.”
Sylvester Stallone paved the way for Sage Stallone to enter the world of movies. Besides appearing alongside his father in various films, Stallone Jr. also served as a director and producer on a number of movies.
