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Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Lion by D.S. Sage Sylvester Stallone's Tragic Real-Life Story. Much like Rocky Balboa came up from nothing to become one of the world's best boxers, Sylvester Stallone came from an underprivileged upbringing to become one of the planet's biggest blockbuster stars. It was a difficult and often traumatic road to fame and fortune for the New York City-born actor, director, screenwriter and producer, and even when Stallone was on top and no longer the underdog, he still suffered losses that few others can imagine. That's part of why Stallone feels so close to the Rocky Balboa character he created. He told Variety of Rocky (1976) in summer 2019, "It is really a metaphor for life. This was a love story. He happens to box for a living, but the story is about his love for [wife Adrian]. You root for the underdog, and he had something to fight for — her." Stallone has become beyond adept at rolling with the (metaphorical) punches, and he's gotten back up from blows that would knock even some of the strongest men out. Here's Sylvester Stallone's tragic real-life story. The tragic reason behind Sylvester Stallone's 'snarl' Sylvester Stallone's trademark "snarl" and sometimes marble-mouthed speech are occasionally the target of mockery. However, the star's curled lip and vocal delivery aren't a tough guy act — they're actually the result of a traumatic childbirth. According to the Chicago Tribune , an accident during Stallone's delivery resulted in a severed facial nerve, causing his lower lip to droop, and paralyzing part of his tongue and chin. Still, Stallone has taken all of it in stride. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Stallone told press (via Reuters ) of his signature slurred speech, "I didn't think I was going to [have a career in film.] When I would try to get jobs in commercials, the director would go, 'What are you saying, what language is that?' I knew it was bad when Arnold Schwarzenegger said, 'You have an accent.' I go, 'I have an accent? Excuse me, what?' It's true. Arnold and I should open up a school for speech lessons. It would be perfect." Saying Sylvester Stallone had a rough childhood almost doesn't cut it. In addition to Sylvester Stallone's traumatic birth, the actor suffered a slew of medical problems throughout his early life. He told The Chicago Tribune that when he was growing up, his facial nerve damage made him feel like ”Mr. Potato Head with all the parts in the wrong place . I wanted to be anybody but me.” He got rickets as a young child and was heavily bullied. He claimed his father was physically abusive and that his mom only kissed him twice during his childhood. As a result, he'd act out in dangerous ways. The Expendables star told the outlet, ”I'd sit and swat flies off cars with a lead pipe, I'd paint the house black, hack up Santa Claus, fire arrows from a classroom window, jump off a roof with an umbrella and break my arm.” By the time Stallone was 12 years old, he'd been kicked out of 13 schools and broken 11 bones. When he was 15, Stallone says that he was told his brain was "dormant," so he started bodybuilding. Sylvester Stallone did some erotica, but it's not what you think. Six years before Rocky (1976), Sylvester Stallone was sleeping at the Port Authority and struggling with acting work (including a play in which a co-star gave him frostbite on his face when she sprayed him with a fire extinguisher) and menial jobs (like getting peed on by lions when he cleaned their cages at the Central Park Zoo). Translation: He was broke. As such, he told Playboy he starred in Party At Kitty And Stud's (1970), a softcore pornographic film that he says by today's standards it would likely get a PG rating. "It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the end — at the very end — of my rope," he said. "Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station." Ultimately, the erotic flick was "never released," according to Stallone. However, after the success of Rocky , Stallone was offered the opportunity to buy the rights to it for $100,000 (presumably to prevent its release). But Stallone recalled, "I wouldn't buy it for two bucks, and my lawyer told them to hit the pike." Still, he admits, "When you're hungry, you do a lot of things you wouldn't ordinarily do, and it's funny how you can readjust your morality for the sake of self-preservation. I thought, 'Well, maybe this will be an art film.' Brilliant." Dolph Lundgren nearly killed Sylvester Stallone. While filming Rocky IV (1985), Dolph Lundgren almost knocked Sylvester Stallone out for good. Stallone recalled to press at the Cannes Film Festival (via Vulture ) that the Swedish karate master-turned-action star was almost too "perfect," causing Stallone to almost loathe him at first sight . and it worked really well for the movie. Almost too well, Stallone says, because Lundgren really packed a punch. "He hit me so hard he almost stopped my heart," Stallone said. "I told him, 'Why don't we just do it? Just try to knock me out. Really cut loose as hard as you can.' . Next thing I know, I'm on a low-altitude plane to the emergency room, and I'm in intensive care for four days. And there are all these nuns around." Stallone detailed the incident to People in 1985: He was airlifted to St. John's Hospital in Los Angeles, where he was diagnosed with a bruised heart, but his issues started earlier: He said months before Lundgren's big blow, he "felt something snap" while filming a training scene in Wyoming. He would later say he felt like he got hit by "a streetcar named Drago." On the bright side, Lundgren and Stallone remain close despite the near-manslaughter. Lundgren told The New York Post , "I was actually pretty surprised at how well Sly could fight. I fought for real and had to learn how to fake it! He was really committed." Sylvester Stallone struggled with his son's autism. Developments in autism research and funding have made leaps and bounds since the birth of Sylvester Stallone's son, Seargeoh. But when the toddler was diagnosed with the disorder, it was incredibly difficult on the actor and his then-wife, Sasha Czeck (seen here, holding Seargeoh). The then-estranged couple told People in 1985 that they dealt separately with their son's struggles, with Czeck shouldering most of the responsibilities for the boy while Stallone worked (and earned autism research funds with premieres). Stallone was heartbroken at what he felt was an inability to connect with Seargeoh, explaining, "There is no real father-and-son thing there. I have to become his playmate. With a child like this you have to put away your ego. You can't force him into your world. I sort of go along with whatever he is doing. After he gets to the point where he trusts you, a little more communication can start. The primary therapy is the repetition of words and instructions. He has shown an extraordinary memory, but he can't apply what he has learned." The actor said that he doted extra on elder son Sage, in part because he wasn't able to bond as well with Seargeoh, but did try his best with his younger son, even creating a nature- driven playground in his yard where the boy could relax. Sage Stallone died of a heart attack at a tragically young age. Sylvester Stallone's eldest son, Sage, with whom he was rather close, died at just 36 years old in July 2012. Sage reportedly passed away from a heart condition called atherosclerosis, in which cholesterol and fats block arteries, and restricts blood flow. The cardiovascular disease caused Sage to suffer a heart attack, which ultimately ended his life, CNN reported. Even more heartbreaking, in addition to suffering the death of his son, Sylvester also had to cope with media speculation that Sage was on drugs at the time of his passing — allegations that turned out to be unfounded, as nothing other than "Tylenol-style pain medication" (in normal amounts) were found in his system. Sage had a promising future and even appeared in a few of his dad's films, including Rocky V (1990) and Daylight (1996), and was engaged to be married at the time of his sudden death. "Because when a parent loses a child there is no greater pain," Sylvester said in a heart wrenching statement. "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." Sylvester Stallone's sister may have blackmailed him for decades. Sylvester Stallone had a contentious relationship with his half-sister, Toni Ann Filiti, for decades. Page Six reported that "at the height of [Stallone]'s fame," the actor, producer, and screenwriter "reached a confidential multi-million dollar settlement" with Filiti that sources described as a "shakedown." In 1987, Stallone reportedly agreed to give Filiti $16,666.66 monthly for the duration of her life, plus a lump payment of $2 million and "a trust of $50,000 per year for medical and psychiatric expenses." Filiti accused Stallone of "personal injury, including physical injury," which he "vigorously" denied.

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