Sylvester Stallone has offered an intimate look into his tumultuous childhood, family struggles, and the personal losses that have shaped his life and career in his new memoir, *The Steps*. The book, named after the iconic stone steps he famously climbed in *Rocky*, charts Stallone’s journey from a difficult upbringing to Hollywood stardom.

Stallone reveals a deeply fraught relationship with his late mother, Jackie Stallone, a well-known astrologer and self-described palmist who died in September 2020 at age 98. He recounts being informed of her death while playing golf and admits he did not attend her funeral. Their interactions were often strained, with Jackie, according to Stallone, showing little affection toward her children or grandchildren. He describes her as immature and driven by a desire for fame, which contributed to an emotionally distant family environment. Stallone says this lack of maternal warmth became a catalyst for his creativity, noting, “It’s the ones that have all the issues that usually end up being the most creative.”

His father, Frank Sr., is depicted as similarly detached, offering words of wisdom only late in life. Stallone says he only came to understand the impact of long-suppressed grief in his later years, revealing that years of emotional repression culminated in a difficult period a few years ago. This emotional eruption nearly affected his marriage to Jennifer Flavin, mother of their three daughters. The couple separated briefly in 2022 but reconciled after working through their differences.

Stallone also addresses the devastating loss of his eldest son, Sage, who died suddenly in 2012 at age 36 from a heart attack caused by coronary artery disease. Sage, who co-starred with Stallone in *Rocky V*, had a previously strained relationship with his father that they reconciled before his death. Stallone reflects on the profound grief this loss caused, describing the pain of seeing his son’s photo.

The memoir details Stallone’s challenging early years growing up in a cramped Hell’s Kitchen apartment amid his parents’ violent marriage. At age two, he was placed in a boardinghouse in Queens, where he lived until age six, and endured constant bullying at school, compounded by a facial nerve injury from birth that left him with a slurred speech and a crooked mouth. His adolescence included time at Devereux, a residential treatment center for troubled youth, where he experienced abuse, including a harrowing assault he describes for the first time.

Despite these hardships, Stallone pursued his dream relentlessly. Returning broke to New York in the early 1970s, he supported himself with low-wage jobs while writing scripts and auditioning. His breakthrough came with *Rocky*, a screenplay he wrote and insisted on starring in, a project that catapulted him to fame. He acknowledges both the drive and arrogance necessary to take that chance.

The memoir also touches on the physical toll of his career. During the filming of *Rocky III*, Stallone developed bulimia and pushed his body to dangerous extremes, including steroid use. Over the years, he has undergone multiple surgeries on his back, shoulders, and neck.

Now 80, Stallone reflects on his legacy and current work, including the hit Paramount series *Tulsa King*. He describes this phase of his career as an opportunity to perform authentically without pressure, saying, “I have nothing to prove. I have no more tricks in the bag. You’ve seen the magician.” *The Steps* offers a candid exploration of the pain and perseverance behind the legend of one of Hollywood’s most enduring figures.