Sylvester Stallone is speaking out following Wednesday’s news that his wife, Jennifer Flavin, filed for divorce last week. Amid rumors that Flavin opted to file for “dissolution of marriage and other relief” after 25 years of marriage over a disagreement about Stallone’s Rottweiler, Dwight, Stallone set the record straight, telling TMZ that they simply “went in different directions.”
As news of the divorce circulated Wednesday, so did rumors that the couple went their separate ways over a dog. TMZ, citing sources, reported Wednesday that Flavin decided to file for divorce after her husband wanted to get a Rottweiler for protection for the family, something that she didn’t want. The issue over the dog reportedly led to arguments that ultimately led to the divorce filing. According to Stallone, however, that isn’t the case. Although Stallone confirmed the TMZ that he and his wife had some disagreements over the dog, they “did not end the relationship on such a trivial argument.”
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“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,” Stallone said, adding that his decision to cover up an arm tattoo he got of Flavin 14 years ago with a tribute to his late dog Butkus was the result of him attempting to freshen up the tattoo. However, the tattoo was ruined, and the actor decided to cover it up with Butkus.
Stallone and Flavin married in 1997, a decade after Stallone’s two-year marriage with Brigitte Nielsen ended. The couple share three daughters, Sistine, 24, Sophia, 25, and Scarlet, 20. Following 25 years of marriage, Flavin filed for divorce at a court in Palm Beach County, Florida on Friday, 19. In the divorce filing, according to TMZ, Flavin accused the Rocky actor of moving assets from marital funds, the filing reading, “Upon information and belief, the Husband has engaged in the intentional dissipation, depletion and/or waste of marital assets which has had an adverse economic impact on the marital estate.”
Shortly after news of the divorce broke, Flavin broke her silence in a statement to PEOPLE, telling the outlet, “I’m sad to announce that after 25 years of marriage I have filed for divorce from my husband Sylvester Stallone. 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.”
