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Sylvester Stallone isn’t apologizing for giving his daughter a shot in Hollywood.
The 80-year-old action star is pushing back against criticism of nepotism after casting his daughter, Scarlet Rose Stallone, in his crime drama “Tulsa King,” delivering a blunt response to those who question whether she earned her place on the show.
“First, they go, ‘Nepotism is terrible.’ I said, ‘Oh please, you’re not a good parent if you haven’t performed a little nepotism. Then obviously you don’t care about your kids, because they come first,'” he said, according to USA Today.
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Sylvester Stallone is standing by his decision to cast daughter Scarlet Rose Stallone in “Tulsa King.” (Getty Images)
“Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot. That’s why we’re parents. We want the best for our children. So obviously we let them have every advantage,” Stallone laughed.
The “Rocky” legend made clear that getting an opportunity and proving oneself are two different things.
Scarlet Stallone as Spencer and Garrett Hedlund as Mitch in “Tulsa King” season 4. (Steve Swisher/Paramount+)
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“Can they maintain that level of excellence? That’s out of our hands,” he said, according to USA Today.
Scarlet, 24, plays Spencer in “Tulsa King,” while her father plays Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mobster who attempts to build a criminal empire in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after spending years behind bars.
Sylvester Stallone as Dwight Manfredi in “Tulsa King” season 4. (Steve Swisher/Paramount+)
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Scarlet, who debuted in season one, takes on a bigger role in season four as her character becomes increasingly involved in the family’s criminal operation.
Stallone shares three daughters with his wife Jennifer Flavin — Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.
L-R Scarlet Stallone, Sistine Stallone, Jennifer Flavin, Sylvester Stallone and Sophia Stallone. (Art Streiber/Paramount+.)
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He also recently opened up about the physical toll of his decades-long Hollywood career while promoting the fourth season of “Tulsa King.”
In an interview with Digital, Stallone revealed that his work on “The Expendables” left him with serious injuries to his back, neck and shoulders.
“I have been injured many, many times, but after ‘Expendables,’ I ended up with nine back operations, three neck fusions. Both shoulders ripped out. It’s been brutal,” he said.
“Don’t. Don’t. Let the pro do it,” Stallone said of deferring to stunt men in the future.
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As for his own stunt-heavy past, the Hollywood veteran was less than impressed with his younger self.
“I think I’m an idiot for doing that,” he admitted. “I’m proud that I broke myself in pieces? Like, duh, no.”
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