Sylvester Stallone vulnerably recalled the "devastating" way that he discovered that his son Sage passed away at the age of 36 in 2012 due to coronary artery disease.
The movie star welcomed Sage into the world with his first wife Sasha Czack. Sylvester received the heartbreaking news while he was in the middle of writing a screenplay, when he got a call from Dr. Stephen Levin, who was his mother, Jackie Stallone's third husband.
He recalled to Page Six: "He goes, 'I'm calling to say he's gone.' It was just so cut and dry and unemotional. 'Sorry, gone. See you later. Bye.' That was it. Not like, 'Can I help you?' Nothing. And that was devastating."
© Getty ImagesThe father-son duo had a very strained relationship prior to them getting on good terms, and Sage showcased some of his resentment when he starred in the hit movie Rocky V with his father in 1990.
In some of the most emotional scenes in the movie, Sage didn't need to act but rather feel.
He shared with People: "When I was screaming [in the movie] 'You never spent time with me! You never spent time with my mother,' that was true. I was looking into my father's face and really saying that. I got a lot of things out. We broke into tears a few times."
© Getty ImagesThanks to the movie, the duo found healing, as Sage revealed: "After the film, everything changed. We'd do anything for each other."
Despite their challenges, Sylvester had big hopes for Sage's future, expressing to Page Six: "I had great hopes for him. He was going to do something really wonderful because he found his own niche, which wasn't about performing, which I thank God… but I had no idea that he was ill."
© Getty ImagesThey say time heals everything, however, it's still difficult for the actor when he starts to get nostalgic, as he shared: "When you see a photo, it's rough. Real rough.
Sadly, Sage's death wasn't the only one that the actor grieved – unfortunately his mother also passed away as well. He recalled: "I was playing golf and someone called, 'Your mother's dead.'"
© Getty ImagesThe actor also got candid about his challenging relationship with his mom, expressing: "Some people just shouldn't have children. And I think she knew that … She was very, very immature and she wanted to be a star."
He added: "She tried to be this palmist, this astrologist, this rumpologist, she was a trapeze artist, she played piano, but she never reached out for her grandchildren or her children. It's the ones that have all the issues that usually end up being the most creative." The actor didn't end up going to her funeral.
