Seargeoh Stallone’s Story: A Life Away From Fame And Cameras

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is the textbook definition of a Hollywood legend — and a dismayed dad. 

The 78-year-old American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer has ruled the action genre for decades. He first rose to stardom in the Academy Award-winning boxing megahit Rocky (1976).

The list of films Sylvester Stallone starred in is virtually endless, and the covetable awards he brought home in his storied career are just as bounteous.

Sly was idolized for his impressively muscular physique and the tough characters he often portrayed in his blockbuster films. Even today, Hollywood’s big dog seems to be aging like fine wine.

However, Sly’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems. He got punched hard over 40 years ago when he learned that his second son, Seargeoh Stallone, suffered from autism. The news came as a shocking blow for the Rocky superstar and his family.

Born into Hollywood royalty, Seargeoh Stallone was never meant for the spotlight. Unlike his father, Sylvester Stallone, who built a legendary career in front of the cameras, Seargeoh was kept out of the public eye.

Shrouded in mystery, he remains one of the most elusive figures in the Stallone family, with little to no photos of him online.

Who is Seargeoh Stallone?

Image credits: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios

Sylvester Stallone’s ex-wife, Sasha Stallone, gave birth to their second son, Seargeoh, on May 17, 1979 in Los Angeles, California. He was diagnosed with autism at only the age of 3.

Sylvester Stallone opened up about his lesser-known son during an appearance on the Donahue show in 1990. Sitting beside his first son, Sage Stallone, who passed away on July 13, 2012, Sly shared with the audience the ordeal of his autistic son and how his family received the news.

Sly managed to keep Seargeo hidden from the public so well that a woman in the audience asked, “Do you have any other children?”. Without hesitation, Sylvester answered, “Yes. I have one son. He is autistic. His name is Seargeoh.”

When he started talking about his son, Sly showed vulnerability that sharply contrasted with the tough man image he often portrayed in films. “It is a void that can never be filled,” Sly said of Seargeo. He also pointed out that although receiving the news was agony for him, “It was probably harder for Sage” than himself. “He doesn’t like to talk about it, but it was his only brother…it was very traumatic for him.”

His mother also noticed Sage’s sadness and loneliness around his younger brother. “It’s like being an only child,” she told PEOPLE for a 1985 cover story. “And it is lonely for him. I try to compensate by having many sleepovers with Sage’s friends.”

Host Phil Donahue asked Sly about the first time they discovered Seargeoh was autistic, to which he replied that his son “was totally normal for two years.” However, Seargeoh’s personality later changed, becoming more “reserved” and “shunned off.”

Being the fighter dad he is, Sly tried his best to raise his son like any other kid — only to receive the hardest punch in his life yet. After taking him to a doctor to examine his case, he realized that his second son was indeed hopeless. “And I said well, ‘what will he be able to do?’” he recounted. “They said ‘nothing.’”

Sly recalls desperately asking the doctor, “Could he at least become physically active?” only to get another heartwrenching “No.”

The heartbroken dad couldn’t contain his feelings at the time, becoming “very aggressive” towards the doctor  — but in vain. “I’m telling you, I will be very honest with you; this child will be in the shadow,” the doctor bluntly told him.

While Stallone mentioned that they have “come to terms” with the reality of his son living with autism for life, the sadness in his eyes revealed a different narrative.

Contrary to popular belief, Autism — the fancy term autism spectrum disorder or ASD — isn’t an illness or a disease but a wide range of conditions that include persistent difficulties with repetitive patterns of behaviors, social skills, and verbal and nonverbal communication (per Autism Speaks).

Seargeoh showed early signs of miscommunication, leading the parents to seek help. The Stallones eventually learned the harsh truth despite Seargeoh’s ability to repeat certain words, write letters, and draw initially.

Like any other parents, they were far from pleased when they first received the news. “We both broke down,” Sasha recalled. The dismayed parents went to fight in the wake of the news, and really, could anyone blame them?

Seargeoh’s condition isn’t rare. One in 36 children in America is diagnosed with autism, with boys being almost 4 times more likely to be autistic than girls according to Autism Speaks.

The Stallones decided to take matters into their own hands instead of following the advice of placing their son in an institution — but Sylvester’s hectic lifestyle was yet another obstacle. “I knew that Sly couldn’t get as involved because of his work,” Sasha told PEOPLE in 1985.

“We do what we have to do. So I just said, ‘Give me the money, and I’ll take care of it.’” Sly did support his son financially, and his mother did exactly what she promised.

In 1985, the parents founded a research fund administered by the National Society for Children and Adults with Autism. “Sasha does the hard, in-the-trenches warfare,” Sylvester said at the time. “I use my films to have premieres that raise money for the fund.”

Sylvester Stallone’s Fatherhood Struggles

 

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Sly’s intense efforts to shield his autistic son from the public eye may seem a bit overprotective, but they likely stem from a deep sense of love.

In the United States, only about 21% of individuals with disabilities, including autism, find employment. This statistic could shed light on why Sylvester chooses to prioritize his son’s well-being by keeping him within his own space.

The protective father previously declined requests to take photos of his son, fearing that this might negatively affect his condition. Sly even took Seargeoh’s autism into consideration when he built his yard.

“I have tried to build my yard into a New England playground environment, where Seargeoh can go outside and relate to nature and hear the flowing water,” he said. “That seems to bring him out a little.”

Despite trying to be a good father, Sly’s busy life as a Hollywood heavyweight has proved to be an obstacle. “Right now Sly just doesn’t have the time to sit down and play and say, ‘No, Seargeoh, that isn’t the red block, that’s the blue block,’” Sasha explained.

Sly once admitted that his relationship with his son was not typical due to his autism. “There is no real father-and-son thing there,” he explained, adding that he had to become Seargeoh’s playmate rather than guide him into his own world.

The Heartbreaking Reality of Raising a Child with Autism

Image credits: @officialslystallone

Sly confessed that it’s “extremely sad” to raise an autistic child, but he still believed that they are “lucky” that Seargeoh is more peaceful than other kids with autism. “Many autistic children are violent, Seargeoh is not,” he noted to PEOPLE. 

Autistic kids may use aggression as self-expression, often directing it toward objects or others. Common behaviors include kicking or throwing things, and they might even harm themselves through actions like head-banging (per Raising Children Network).

Seargeoh was diagnosed as a “high-functioning” autistic, which was reflected in his structured daily routine. His mother, Sasha, shared that he had his own room, woke up early, and, like most kids, loved dragging out all his toys.

“He is enrolled in a special-education class in a public school in Pasadena and is driven there by one of his teachers,” she explained. “They come home together at 3:45 p.m. Twice a week, they have a therapy session on the way home.”

Sasha also highlighted how these sessions helped Seargeoh develop life skills. “He might go to a store and buy something and then give the cashier the money himself. Or they’ll go to a park or the zoo,” she said, emphasizing the efforts to help him engage with the world around him.

Sasha had to give Seargeoh extra care as he grew up. She described the experience as “like raising a child who never quite moves past the helpless stage,” adding that it could be quite “frustrating.”

The Hidden Kid in a Family of Stars

 

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Seargeoh did not know how it was to be famous growing up. Compared to Sylvester Stallone’s other children, he was the only child not spotted in public with his family, and he did not appear in any films or shows as an adult.

Sly and Sasha welcomed Seargeoh’s older brother, Sage, in LA on May 5, 1976. Though Sage died unexpectedly at age 36 due to heart disease (per BBC), his proud dad did not shy away from working alongside him in the sports action hit Rocky V (1990).

Sage famously played Robert Balboa, Jr. (Rocky Balboa’s son) in the drama film. He later played Vincent in the 1996 thriller Daylight, which starred his father as the disgraced former NYC Emergency Medical Services Chief Kit Latura.

Curiously, Seargeoh isn’t even in the cast of the iconic The Family Stallone show — the reality TV series supposed to offer an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of Sylvester Stallone, his wife Jennifer Flavin, and his three daughters, Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet.

The only time Seargeoh ever appeared on the silver screen was as a newborn baby. His sole and most famous role was as Robert Balboa, Jr., the infant son of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in Rocky II (1979). Since then, the world has never seen Seargeoh appearing alongside his legendary father.

Over four decades have passed since Seargeoh came into the world and there is still no official info or the slightest documentation to confirm his current health condition, lifestyle, where he lives, or even the type of relationship he has with his high-profile family.

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