The Hollywood veteran is no stranger to portraying tough action stars in the movies, so many may not be surprised to learn about the actor’s past street fights. However, his family was shocked to discover the patriarch’s harrowing encounter at 16.
Sylvester Stallone Shares Terrifying Encounter With Bullies
The “First Blood” star recently recounted the story of his gunshot wound on an episode of his daughters Sophia and Sistine Stallone’s “Unwaxed” podcast. A clip of the TV personality’s walk down memory lane went viral on TikTok, capturing the famous family’s stunned reactions to the patriarch’s past.
“Huh?” the podcast hosts exclaimed, moving forward at the same time with their eyes widened in disbelief at Sylvester’s casual revelation of being shot in the arm. “Mom, did you know he was shot?” Sophia asked Jennifer Flavin, who sat in the background and confirmed she did not know about her husband’s injury.
“Well, I don’t tell you everything, honey. I mean, it’s only been 26 years; I’ve got to keep some secrets,” the father-of-five teased his longtime partner before finally sharing his tale. The drama started when the film director curiously attended a church dance despite not knowing anyone there and attracted the attention of a group of male attendees.
“This is the story of my life in a nutshell; for some reason, there’s a group of guys over there tough, looking guys. I’m all alone. I don’t know anyone in this dance, maybe there’s 500 people. Of all the 500 people, they zero in on me,” the 77-year-old recalled, adding:
“A guy walks over to me, a big giant guy, you know, he’s like, ‘Hey, get out of here or we’re gonna smack you in the face.’ Whoa! I’m looking around like, ‘Hey, I didn’t do anything,’ then he hits me hard.”
Following the strike, the Golden Globes Award winner hoped someone at the venue would rescue him, so he tucked his tail between his legs and left. But being an “abject coward” was not in the movie star’s blood, who stopped by a parking lot and talked himself into facing his bullies.
“I said: ‘I can’t live with it. I cannot live the rest of my life knowing that some stranger came up and hit me hard for nothing. So you gotta do something. You know what? Go back in. Go back in!'” Sylvester recounted with his voice full of emotions.
True to his word, the “Rocky Balboa” star returned to the church dance and punched his attacker in the face while the bully had been laughing about hitting the younger entertainer. However, because of the man’s size, the TV personality’s punch had little impact, and the bully retaliated only to smack the unsuspecting priest between the squabbling pair.
What followed was a movie-worthy chase scene in the Kensington area, with the group jumping over fences to catch Sylvester, who successfully made it to his house before more damage could be inflicted. Unfortunately, the bullies got their revenge when the “Creed” actor visited a bowling alley. In the BAFTA Award nominee’s words:
“One night, I slipped out, and they followed me. I was going to this bowling alley, and I started running, and then pow! They shot me in the tricep…and I kept going and going and going and finally, after the shot, the police came.”
Fans React To The ‘Sly’ Star’s Gunshot Tale
The “Escape Plan” star’s exceptional dad lore has got fans divided, with some loving the entertainer’s unbelievable story while others are calling it a tale of false bravado. One TikTok user wrote: “Bro Sylvester Stallone’s dad lore is INSANE,” with another wondering: “I don’t understand why they’re surprised? Dude was literally Rambo.”
“Bro, how big does someone have to be for Sylvester Stallone to say you’re big?” A third pondered about the bully from the story, while a fourth was in disbelief about the actor’s age, exclaiming, “60 or 16?!?!!”
“Dads will go 30+ years without telling you the craziest story of all time and then talk about it so casually,” a fan noted about Sylvester’s storytelling. Meanwhile, critics expressed skepticism about the gunshot tale, with one individual declaring:
“I’m calling BS it went down like that. Let’s remember he writes for a living. New Movie Coming out.”
“Don’t 100% believe the story but sympathize with the predicament. I’m absolutely the quiet guy in the bar some f—head has to try & push around,” another claimed while someone jokingly penned: “Imagine 14 years later the dude goes to watch Rocky and is like ‘Hey wait I shot that guy.'”