Sylvester Stallone’s 1st wife pleaded with son weeks before his death
There’s simply nothing worse in life than losing a child, and this no matter what the child’s age – whether not yet born or a grown adult.
There’s simply nothing worse in life than losing a child, and this no matter what the child’s age – whether not yet born or a grown adult.
Sylvester Stallone can attest to this first hand – it’s no secret that the legendary Hollywood actor tragically lost his first-born, Sage Stallone, in 2012.
What’s perhaps less well known is the fact that Stallone’s ex-wife and Sage’s mom, Sasha Czack, had insisted that Sage avoid undergoing a major dental surgery just weeks before he died.
Before the official cause of Sage’s sudden and untimely death became known, theories were abound – people suspected everything from drugs, to alcohol, to suicide. But the truth would ultimately be more heartbreaking than anyone could have imagined.
Tough Childhood, Tough Adulthood
Experiencing the loss of a child is an unspeakable predicament. But Sylvester “Rocky Balboa” Stallone unfortunately had it tough even before the unfathomable loss of his son, who died at just 36 years of age.
In many ways, Stallone’s actual life had a lot in common with the legendary Rocky Balboa character that rendered him one of Hollywood’s most popular actors.
Before he was forced to grow up tough, Sylvester was born tough. Greeting life was no easy feat, and he came out fighting. A problem during his delivery led to one of his facial nerves being severed, paralyzing a part of his tongue and chin.
This precise accident and its outcome is in fact what has led to Stallone’s trademark snarl, which one might say in many ways contributed to his popularity as a public figure – but as a child, the impact was far from positive.
Stallone was heavily bullied for his disfigurement, and he has reported feeling like “Mr. Potato Head” with parts of his face in the wrong place. To make matters worse, Stallone did not have a safe place to come home to: his father was abusive and his mother cold, only “kissing him twice” throughout his entire childhood.
Unsurprisingly, this produced a rather unstable kid out of Stallone. He frequently got himself into trouble. By the time he was 12 years old, he’d already been kicked out of 13 schools and broken 11 bones for a variety of reasons, such as jumping off a roof with an umbrella.
Stallone’s path eventually led him towards bodybuilding, and then acting. Before reaching his incredible fame, Stallone spent years barely surviving. He has spoken about experiencing homelessness, sleeping at the Port Authority in Manhattan.
During those tough times, he braved the harsh New York winters with just one coat. Reflecting on its importance in an interview, he shared, ”That coat saved my life.”
Things took a drastic turn for the good after he was cast in the first of the Rocky series in 1976.
From Rags to Riches
Not long before Stallone met fame and fortune, he met and married his first wife, photographer and director Sasha Czack. Together they had two sons, Sage, born in 1976 and Seargeoh, in 1979.
Sylvester and Czack split in 1985 and later that same year, he married model and actress Brigitte Nielsen. That relationship would also unfortunately fail, and they divorced just two years later.
Third time’s a charm, as they say, and in 1997, Stallone married model and entrepreneur Jennifer Flavin, with whom he is still married and shares three daughters: Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet Stallone.
An Untimely Death
Sylvester Stallone’s life has been full of highs and lows, but nothing compared to the loss of his first-born son, Sage.
Sage Stallone was a passionate film lover and entrepreneur who also tried his hand at acting during his short life. He appeared alongside his father in films such as Rocky V (1990) and Daylight (1996). Behind the camera, he co-founded Grindhouse Releasing, a company dedicated to restoring, remastering and preserving cult and forgotten films.
On July 13, 2012, Sage was found dead by his housekeeper at his home in the Los Angeles area. He was 36 years old.
[Image: Sylvester and Sage Stallone filming “Rocky V” in 1990. Photo: Getty Images]
Rumors Spread Quickly
In the days that followed, speculation filled the gap left by the lack of official answers.
Early reports suggested Sage may have been dead for several days before he was found. That claim was later disputed when it emerged that he had posted on Facebook roughly 17 hours before his body was discovered.
Other rumors claimed that his room had been filled with liquor bottles, fueling theories that drugs or alcohol played a role. His longtime friend and attorney, George Braunstein, publicly rejected those claims. He explained that Sage smoked and had a fondness for candy and soda, but did not drink alcohol, and that the bottles in question were actually cream soda.
Braunstein described Sage as a young, sensitive and talented man with no history of serious health problems or substance abuse. He also told E! News that Sage was creative and full of life, with no financial troubles or signs that anything was wrong.
Speculation that Sage had taken his own life was also dismissed. No note was found, and he had reportedly been planning to marry his longtime girlfriend.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office deferred a final ruling pending further testing, saying results would take at least six to eight weeks.
[Image: Sage Stallone at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, 1994. Photo: Getty Images]
A Father’s Grief
As rumors circulated, Stallone released a statement asking the public for compassion and privacy. He said there is no greater pain than a parent losing a child, and he asked people to honor Sage’s memory and show kindness to Sage’s mother, his first wife, Sasha Czack.
Describing Sage as the center of their universe, Stallone pleaded for his son’s memory to be left in peace.
[Image: Sylvester Stallone in New York City, March 13, 2014. Photo: Getty Images]
The Answers Arrive
Czack later revealed that Sage had undergone dental surgery about two weeks before his death, having several teeth removed despite her urging him not to have so much work done at once. She said he had been taking prescription pain medication afterward.
In late August 2012, the coroner released the results. Sage had died of a heart attack caused by atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries. The toxicology report found traces of prescription pain medication in his system, but at levels consistent with normal use. His death was not the result of an overdose.
Moving Forward
Stallone later described the weeks spent waiting for answers as an extremely difficult time. He threw himself into work to help cope with his grief.
Today, he finds strength in his four surviving children. His second son, Seargeoh, who was diagnosed with autism as a young child, has lived largely out of the public eye. His daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet, from his marriage to Jennifer Flavin, have each built their own careers in media, modeling and entertainment.
Sage Stallone’s life was far too short, but his love of film lives on through the movies he helped rescue from obscurity, and through the family who continues to carry his memory.
