Sylvester Stallone Speaks out About What Led to Reconciliation With Wife Jennifer Flavin

Sylvester Stallone is opening up about the “reawakening” that led to his reconciliation with wife Jennifer Flavin after a brief split. In a conversation with The Sunday Times, the Tulsa King actor spoke about how he and his wife of 25 years split during a “very tumultuous time” in August that saw him covering tattoos of his wife’s face with his new dog before they called off their divorce just a month later.

“Let’s just say that it was a very tumultuous time,” Stallone said. “There was a reawakening of what was more valuable than anything, which is my love for my family. It takes precedence over my work, and that was a hard lesson to learn.” Flavin filed for divorce from the Rocky star in August, at which time Stallone said in a statement they were “amicably and privately addressing these personal issues” ahead of their September reconciliation. 

“The Parties agree that it is in the best interests of each of them individually, and more importantly collectively as a family, to resolve all issues attendant to the dissolution of their marriage in a dignified, amicable and private manner out-of-court,” the order for abatement the couple filed with Palm Beach County Circuit Court on Sept. 23 reads.

Stallone shares three daughters with Flavin – Sophia, 26, Sistine, 24, and Scarlet, 20 – and is also father to sons Sage and Seargeoh are from his first marriage with actress Sasha Czack. During his conversation with The Times, the actor said he had learned over the years that he needed to be more present with his family. “I didn’t pay enough attention when they were growing up,” he shared. “I was so career-oriented, and now I go, ‘OK, I don’t have that much runway up ahead, and I want to start asking them about their lives.’”

When it comes to his daughters, Stallone said he’s making up for the lost time in their younger years. “I ask them about their day, and they started at first a little monosyllabic,” he said. “Then I heard one say, ‘I was just thinking about you.’ Oh, my God. I’ve never heard that before in my life. When a daughter knows you care, she’s there forever.”