Stallone Reflects on Tumultuous Marriage to Brigitte Nielsen
Sylvester Stallone opened up to Vanity Fair about the intense scrutiny and painful rumors surrounding his divorce from Brigitte Nielsen, admitting, “If someone should have become an alcoholic, drug addict or a recalcitrant misogynist, that is me.” He described feeling publicly humiliated by the widespread dissection and speculation about their private life, including allegations of infidelity and even insinuations of lesbianism. “I had never read about a divorce wiht as many sexual insinuations as mine with Brigitte. It was very shameful,” he recalled.
The couple starred together in the 1986 film Cobra before their highly publicized wedding, which was followed by an equally public divorce.Stallone’s mother, Jacqueline, also contributed to the Vanity Fair interview, expressing her initial concerns about Nielsen. She stated that Nielsen arrived in the United States “without any honorable intention” and accused her of being unfaithful, even begining on their honeymoon. Jacqueline claimed Nielsen spent nights out dancing and with other men, and even used stallone’s credit card to purchase gifts for them.
Years later, Stallone and Nielsen reunited on the set of Creed II in 2018. In an interview with People magazine, Nielsen described the experience as “incredibly emotional,” despite feeling comfortable with the production team. “My heart was beating very fast,” she said, noting the shift in their relationship: “In 1985 I married Sylvester and this time I am his ex-wife.”
Despite the past scandal, Nielsen spoke fondly of Stallone, praising their professionalism on set. “We are two professionals and we kept it like this. He stayed in the American corner and I in the Russian corner. We where on opposite sides, but it was pleasant,” she joked. Stallone remained largely silent on the matter during the Creed II production.
