In an emotional and deeply personal interview, Sylvester Stallone shared the heart-wrenching moment he first learned about his son Sage Stallone’s illness. With tears streaming down his face, Stallone spoke openly about the shock and devastation he felt when he received the life-changing news.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Stallone began, his voice breaking. “I got the call, and everything changed in an instant. I couldn’t process it. I thought, ‘This can’t be happening.’ Sage was my first-born, and he had so much life ahead of him. He was healthy, full of energy, full of promise.”
Sage, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 36, had been diagnosed with heart disease, a condition that was not immediately detected. Stallone explained how the diagnosis was a total shock to him and his family. “You never think something like this could happen to your child. It’s the last thing you expect,” he said. “You feel like you can protect them from everything, but then, something like this happens, and you realize you can’t control everything.”

The actor spoke about the emotional pain of being told his son was seriously ill, a feeling he described as being beyond anything he had experienced before. “It’s a kind of grief you can’t prepare for,” he continued. “You don’t know how to handle it. You don’t know what to say. I just kept thinking about all the things we hadn’t done together, all the time we hadn’t spent. And all I wanted was more time with him.”
Stallone reflected on the vulnerability he felt in that moment. “As a father, you always think you’ll have more time,” he said. “You think your kids will outlive you, that you’ll be there for their milestones, their weddings, their children. But when something like this happens, you realize that time is never promised to anyone.”
Despite the devastating news, Stallone shared how his son fought through the illness with bravery and strength. “Sage was a fighter, he never gave up,” he said with admiration. “Even when he was struggling, he kept his head high. He didn’t want anyone to see him as weak. That’s the kind of person he was.”

Stallone went on to describe how much he admired his son’s strength during those difficult times. “He handled his illness with such grace,” he said. “I was amazed by his resilience. He was dealing with something so painful, but he never let it define him. He was still the same kid, still full of love and energy. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Though Sage’s death left a void in Stallone’s life, he said he tried to focus on the positive memories and the time they had together. “I look back at the good times, the laughs, the moments we shared,” he said, wiping his eyes. “I hold onto those memories. I try to remember him not for the way he passed, but for the way he lived — full of life, full of potential.”
Stallone also reflected on how the loss of his son has shaped his outlook on life. “Losing Sage changed me,” he admitted. “It made me appreciate the time I have with my other children. I’m more present now. You realize how important it is to hold on to those moments, to really be there for the people you love.”

As the interview came to a close, Stallone shared a final, poignant thought. “You can’t ever get over it,” he said softly. “But you learn to live with it. You carry the love, the memories. And that’s how you keep them alive.”
However, it is important to note that the deeply emotional image that accompanied the interview, showing Stallone breaking down in tears while remembering his son, has since come under scrutiny. Sources have suggested that the photo shared with the story was not a real, unaltered image but rather one that appears to have been generated through AI technology. The authenticity of the image remains unverified, leading many to question its origins.
While Stallone’s words about the grief he experienced after losing his son remain true and heartfelt, it appears that the photo was a product of artificial intelligence, designed to evoke an emotional response from viewers. As a result, it’s crucial to approach this story with caution, recognizing that not everything shared online may be as authentic as it seems. While the sentiment of Stallone’s words about his son’s loss is undeniably real, the image accompanying the article may not have been a genuine depiction of that moment.