There's really nothing worse in life than losing a child, no matter how old they are – whether they haven't been born yet or are already an adult.
Sylvester Stallone knows this all too well – it's well known that the famous Hollywood actor sadly lost his first child, Sage Stallone, in 2012.
What might be less known is that Stallone's ex-wife and Sage's mother, Sasha Czack, had urged Sage to skip a big dental surgery just weeks before he passed away.
Before the real reason for Sage's sudden and tragic death was revealed, many theories circulated – people thought it could be due to drugs, alcohol, or even suicide. But the reality turned out to be even more heartbreaking than anyone could have guessed.
Tough Childhood, Tough Adulthood
Losing a child is something no one can really describe. Sadly, Sylvester “Rocky Balboa” Stallone had a really hard time even before he faced the unimaginable loss of his son, who passed away at just 36 years old.
In many ways, Stallone's real life was a lot like the famous Rocky Balboa character, which made him one of the most loved actors in Hollywood.
Before he had to toughen up, Sylvester was born with a strong spirit. Facing life was really tough for him, and he came out swinging. A problem during his birth caused one of his facial nerves to get cut, which left part of his tongue and chin paralyzed.
This specific incident and what happened because of it is actually what gave Stallone his famous snarl, which some might say helped him become popular as a celebrity – but when he was a kid, it didn't have a good effect at all.
Oh no! It's BIRTHDAY time again! Thank goodness you only have to be as old as you feel! Hey, It's OK to grow up, as long as you never give up …Posted by Sylvester Stallone on Thursday, July 6, 2017
Stallone faced a lot of bullying because of his disfigurement, and he said he felt like ‘Mr. Potato Head' with his face parts all mixed up. To make things even harder, Stallone didn't have a safe home to go back to: his dad was abusive and his mom was distant, only ‘kissing him twice' during his whole childhood.
It's no surprise that this made Stallone a pretty unstable kid. He often got into trouble. By the time he turned 12, he had already been kicked out of 13 schools and broken 11 bones for different reasons, like jumping off a roof with an umbrella.
Eventually, Stallone found his way into bodybuilding and then acting. Before he became super famous, he spent years just trying to get by. He talked about being homeless and sleeping at the Port Authority in Manhattan.
During those hard times, he faced the freezing New York winters with only one coat. Looking back on how important that coat was, he said in an interview, ‘That coat saved my life.'
Things took a drastic turn for the good after he was cast in the first of the Rocky series in 1976.
From Rags to Riches
Not long before Stallone became famous and successful, he met and married his first wife, photographer and director Sasha Czack. They had two sons together, Sage, who was born in 1976, and Seargeoh, who was born in 1979.
Sylvester and Czack separated in 1985, and later that same year, he married model and actress Brigitte Nielsen. Unfortunately, that relationship also ended badly, and they got divorced just two years later.
They say the third time is lucky, and in 1997, Stallone married model and entrepreneur Jennifer Flavin. They are still together and have three daughters: Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet Stallone.
An Untimely Death
Stallone's life had many ups and downs. However, no low could compare to the time he lost his first-born son, Sage.
Sage Stallone was a film lover and entrepreneur who also tried acting during his short 36 years. He even acted in a few movies with his dad, like Rocky V and Daylight.
Sage started Grindhouse Releasing, a company that worked to remaster, restore, and preserve films.
On July 13, 2012, Sage was found dead in his apartment in the Los Angeles area by his housekeeper. Speculations about what caused his death started spreading almost right away.
Initially, there was some uncertainty about the exact time of Sage's death, with some news sources saying he might have been dead for a few days before he was found. However, this rumor was later proven false when it was revealed that he had made a final Facebook post just 17 hours before his body was discovered.
More rumors started to spread, including one that suggested Sage had a room filled with liquor bottles. This led to the idea that his death might have been connected to drug or alcohol problems.
Sage's close friend and lawyer, George Braunstein, helped clear up these rumors. Braunstein stated that while Sage did enjoy smoking and eating candy and soda, he did not drink alcohol. In fact, the ‘suspicious' bottles in his room were just Dr. Brown's Cream Soda.
“Sage was a really young, very sensitive, and very talented kid. There has been no sign that anything was wrong in his life,” Braunstein said, adding that Sage never had any major health issues or a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
The idea of suicide, which was one of the rumors about Sage's mysterious death, has been ruled out. There was never a suicide note found, and he was actually getting ready to marry his long-time girlfriend.
Braunstein shared with E! News, “He was really creative, full of energy, and had a zest for life. There was nothing dark or sad about him, no issues, and definitely no money problems.”
The coroner's office stated, “The final cause of death is still pending more tests. We won't have any results until the testing is done, which will take at least six to eight weeks. The LAPD has asked to keep more details about the death under wraps.”
A Father's Grief
As news spread about Sage's death, Stallone asked everyone to give the family some privacy and respect. He mentioned that there is no pain greater for a parent than losing their child.
He encouraged the public to remember Sage with love and to show empathy towards him and his ex-wife, Czack.
Sage Stallone's death was "absolutely not suicide" http://t.co/XyjxnfRv pic.twitter.com/ksPtTvHN
— NDTV Movies (@moviesndtv) July 19, 2012
“I am asking people to honor my incredibly talented son's memory and to have compassion for his caring mother Sasha, because this heartbreaking loss will stay with us forever,” he said.
Stallone also shared that as his first child, Sage had a very special place in his heart.
“Sage was our first kid and the center of our world, and I am sincerely asking everyone to let my son's memory and spirit rest in peace,” he said.
The Truth Unveiled
Eventually, it came to light that Sage had dental surgery just two weeks before he passed away, even though his mom pleaded with him not to.
“I told him not to do that. I've heard about people dying after having several procedures done on their mouths,” she said. “Don't have more than one tooth pulled.”
Regardless, Sage went ahead and had five teeth taken out. He then took painkillers to help with the pain, Czack mentioned. Two weeks later, he was gone.
In late August 2012, the details of Sage's death were finally uncovered: Autopsy reports showed that Sage died from atherosclerosis, which is when the arteries harden, leading to a heart attack. The toxicology report indicated that there were some pain medications in his system, but it confirmed that he did not overdose.
The Way Forward
Stallone talked about how hard it was to wait for the cause of death, saying it was a “very tough” few weeks and a time filled with deep sadness.
He worked really hard to get back to his job to help ease his sorrow and keep his mind off things as much as he could.
Now, with his second son and three lovely daughters, he can feel proud and just hopes that time will keep helping him heal.
Actually, the rest of the Stallone family is doing well. His second son, Seargeoh, who was diagnosed with autism when he was young, has stayed out of the celebrity limelight his whole life.
His daughters, Sophia and Sistine, run the “Unwaxed” podcast, while Scarlet is a model and wants to be an actress.
It's such a sad story, but I'm glad Sylvester Stallone has his other wonderful kids to bring him happiness and comfort.
Isn't it amazing how a mom can have such strong instincts about her kids?
Please share this story to remind everyone of this and to keep the memories of the too-soon-gone Sage Stallone alive!
