Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to a parent, regardless of the child’s age, whether an adult or even an unborn baby.
Sylvester Stallone, who lost his first child, Sage Stallone, in 2012, has experienced this unbearable pain deeply and personally.
What is perhaps less well known is that Sage’s mother,
Sasha Czack, Stallone’s ex-wife, had advised Sylvester against undergoing major dental surgery just weeks before her tragic passing.
The cause of Sage’s sudden and shocking death was the subject of much speculation. It was thought that it might have been suicide, or that drugs or alcohol had played a role in his demise.
However, the reality proved to be even more devastating than anyone could have imagined.
The idea of losing a child is unimaginable. But before his son passed away at the age of 36, Sylvester «Rocky Balboa» Stallone had already faced numerous hardships in his own life.
Stallone’s real life, in many ways, mirrored that of his most famous character, Rocky Balboa, a role that made him one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors.
From the start, Sylvester was a tough man, but he learned to become even stronger. He faced life with all his might, and that wasn’t easy.
When he was born, a nerve in his face was severely damaged, causing partial paralysis of his jaw and tongue.
One could say that Stallone’s distinctive facial expression, which stems from this tragedy, helped him become a popular public figure. But as a child, the effect was anything but positive.
Because of his deformities, Stallone was the target of cruel bullying, and he himself said he felt like a «Mr. Potato Head» because parts of his face were misaligned.
Even worse was that he had no safe home to return to, as his mother was cold and only «kissed him twice» during his entire childhood, while his father was violent.
It’s no surprise that this made Stallone quite a troubled child. He was constantly getting into trouble.
By the age of twelve, he had already broken eleven bones and had been expelled from thirteen schools, one of which was for jumping off a roof with an umbrella.
Eventually, Stallone’s path led him to bodybuilding and then to acting. He spent years barely scraping by, until he finally achieved enormous fame.
In an interview, he recalled how he used to sleep at the Port Authority building in Manhattan when he was homeless.
He survived the cold New York winters during those difficult times wearing only a jacket. In an interview, he reflected on this period and said, «That jacket saved my life.»
When he landed the role of Rocky in the first film in 1976, his life changed dramatically.
Sasha Czack, a photographer and filmmaker, was Stallone’s first wife, whom he married shortly before he became famous and wealthy. They had two sons together, Sage, born in 1976, and Seargeoh, born in 1979.
After Sylvester and Czack separated in 1985, he married actress and model Brigitte Nielsen, but that relationship also didn’t last long, and they divorced two years later.
In 1997, Stallone married Jennifer Flavin, a model and businesswoman, to whom he is still married and with whom he has three daughters: Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet Stallone. As they say, «third time’s the charm.»
Stallone’s life, despite its ups and downs, was always marked by hardship. But the loss of his first son, Sage, was undoubtedly the lowest point in his life.
During his 36 years, Sage, a film lover and businessman, also tried his hand at acting. He appeared alongside his father in several films, including *Daylight* and *Rocky V*.
Sage founded Grindhouse Releasing, a company dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and remastering of films.
On July 13, 2012, he was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment. Shortly afterward, rumors began circulating about the possible causes of his death.
At first, the exact time of his passing was unknown. According to some media outlets, he may have been dead for several days before being found.
However, a Facebook post, made 17 hours before he was discovered, quickly debunked this theory.
Other rumors claimed that Sage had a room full of liquor bottles, fueling speculation that drugs or alcohol might have played a role in his death.
George Braunstein, Sage’s lifelong friend and lawyer, helped to dispel these rumors.
He explained that Sage drank soda and ate candy, but did not consume alcohol. In fact, the bottles found in his room contained Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda, not liquor.
Sage was a very talented, sensitive, and young man. According to Braunstein, Sage never had any serious health problems or abused drugs or alcohol, and there were no signs that anything was wrong in his life.
One theory that circulated about his death was that it was a suicide, but this also turned out to be false.
The young man was about to marry his longtime partner, and no suicide note was found.
Braunstein told E! News, «He was very creative, energetic, and full of life. He didn’t have any problems, not even financial ones, and there was nothing dark or melancholic about him.»
According to a statement from the coroner’s office, «additional tests are being conducted that will delay the final determination of the cause of death.»
The results will not be released until the tests are complete, which is expected to take at least six to eight weeks.
The Los Angeles Police Department requested security measures to prevent further information from being leaked.
Sage’s death raised suspicions, so Stallone asked for privacy and respect for his family, saying that losing a child is the greatest pain a parent can experience.
He asked everyone to remember Sage fondly and to have compassion for him and his ex-wife, Sasha Czack.
«This heartbreaking loss will be felt for the rest of our lives, so I ask everyone to respect the memory of my incredibly talented son and have compassion for his beloved mother, Sasha,» he said.
Stallone also mentioned that Sage was especially special to him, as he was his firstborn.
«With humility, I ask that everyone leave my son’s memory and soul in peace. Sage was our firstborn and the center of our universe.»
It was later revealed that, despite his mother’s warnings, Sage underwent dental surgery two weeks before his death.
“I advised him against it. I’ve heard of people dying after multiple dental operations,” she said. “Avoid having more than one tooth pulled.”
Sage, however, went ahead and had five teeth extracted. According to Czack, he then took painkillers to ease the pain. He died two weeks later.
Finally, in late August 2012, the official cause of Sage’s death was released: according to the autopsy report,
Sage died of atherosclerosis, a condition in which the arteries harden and cause a heart attack.
Although traces of painkillers were found in his system, toxicology tests indicated it was not an overdose.
Stallone described the weeks of waiting for the cause of death as a “very tough” and truly heartbreaking period.
To try to distract himself and ease his pain, Stallone made an effort to return to work.
Today, he can be proud of his second son and his three beautiful daughters, and he can only hope that time will help him heal.
Yes, the rest of the Stallone family is doing quite well. Seargeoh, his second son, has never been in the public eye, despite being diagnosed with autism as a child.
Scarlet is a model and aspiring actress, and the podcast «Unwaxed» is hosted by her sisters Sophia and Sistine.
