Sylvester Stallone is best known for playing tough-guy roles in the Rocky and Rambo franchises, but off-screen he’s known as a real family man: he’s been married to wife Jennifer Flavin for 25 years, and they have three beautiful grown daughters together.
Sly’s family life has long seemed to be happy and healthy compared to that of many Hollywood celebrities, and he’s always seemed to enjoy his role as a doting dad and husband.
Which is why fans were so shocked last month when Flavin filed for divorce from Stallone, seemingly marking the end of 25 years together — however, the couple has apparently patched things up and canceled their split.
Filing for divorce
Last month, Flavin filed for a “dissolution of marriage” at a court in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In her filing, Flavin alleged her husband “has engaged in the intentional dissipation, depletion and/or waste of marital assets,” a claim Stallone and his lawyers have refuted.
“I’m sad to announce that after 25 years of marriage I have filed for divorce from my husband Sylvester Stallone,” Flavin said in a statement, according to People. “While we will no longer be married, I will always cherish the more than 30-year relationship that we shared, and I know we are both committed to our beautiful daughters. I ask for privacy for our family as we amicably move forward.”
“I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues,” Stallone responded in a statement to the LA Times.
Sources say that the actor was “blindsided” by the divorce filing, and was on location in Oklahoma when his wife filed the paperwork.
“Sylvester’s intent was to work things out with Jennifer. Now I don’t know [what will happen] because she decided to go public with everything,” the source told OK! News.
Fighting over a dog
While it’s a private matter and no one can know for sure what the couple was going through before the divorce filing, it has been speculated that it was, surprisingly, over a dog.
One of the first signs that the marriage was in trouble was when Stallone covered up a tattoo of Flavin with a photo of Butkus — his old pet dog who famously appeared in the Rocky movies.
Stallone also recently got a new pet Rottweiler, a pet that his wife reportedly did not want. It was reported in the media that the couple’s 25 year marriage seemingly ended over a fight about a dog.
However, Stallone has refuted this, telling TMZ that while he and Flavin did have disagreements about the dog, the actual cause was bigger and more personal.
“We did not end the relationship on such a trivial argument,” he told the outlet. “We just went in different directions.”
“I have the highest respect for Jennifer. I will always love her. She’s an amazing woman. She’s the nicest human being I’ve ever met.”
As for the tattoo, he claimed he just wanted to “freshen up” the old tattoo, but it got messed up and the Butkus tribute was a last-minute fix. He said he still has a tattoo of Flavin on his back, not yet replaced by any beloved pets.
‘Working out their differences’
For weeks, it seemed that the couple’s 25-year marriage was really ending — but apparently, the two have worked things out.
Speculation that Stallone and Flavin were on better terms began last week, after the actor shared some throwback photos of him and Flavin, along with their three daughters who were just girls at the time.
“Wonderful…” Stallone captioned the photos.
Now, it seems that the divorce has been called off, and the couple are working things out.
“They decided to meet back up at home, where they talked and were able to work out their differences,” Stallone’s rep said, according to OK!. “They are both extremely happy.”
Stallone and Flavin: 25 years of marriage
The news that Stallone and Flavin have worked things out is no doubt a relief for their family, friends, and fans, given that the couple has been together for 25 years.
Their marriage was actually the third for Stallone: the actor’s first marriage was to Sasha Czack in 1974, which lasted until 1985. The couple had two sons, Sage and Seargeoh.
Stallone was also married to actress Brigitte Nielsen for two years, in a highly-publicized Hollywood marriage and divorce.
His marriage to Flavin almost didn’t happen: after dating for six years, Stallone briefly broke up their relationship after his affair with another woman came to light. But the couple patched things up, had their first kid and were married in 1997.
For the Rocky star, the third time was the charm, and his marriage to Flavin proved to be life-changing.
“I’ve never had more fun,” he said in 2010, according to The Sun. “I learnt that from my wife… It took me 19 years to realize she’s always right.”
“I realized that women have a knack, at least Jennifer, for making incredibly erudite, wise, smart decisions. I always leap without looking.”
Three daughters together
Stallone and Flavin have three daughters together: Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet.
According to The Sun, oldest daughter Sophia, studied communications at the University of Southern California. While his second child Sistine has taken after her mother with a successful modeling career and has now also dabbled in acting with a role in Midnight in the Switchgrass, starring Bruce Willis and Megan Fox.
The three daughters were also named Miss Golden Globe in 2017.
The three have said that Sly is a protective dad — and isn’t afraid to use his tough guy persona to scare away potential boyfriends.
“In terms of what to say if we don’t know how to answer a guy’s text. Or if we’re trying to break up with a guy he’ll give us really good advice… on how to cut them off,” Sistine told HollywoodLife.
“There are guys that have been broken up with via my dad, and they have no idea.”
We’re happy to hear that Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin have worked things out and are no longer planning to divorce.
Divorces are so common in celebrity marriages that it’s always nice to see one last as long as theirs — and nice to see them both willing to give it a second chance.
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