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Stallone’s near-miss divorce forced him to reevaluate his priorities.

Sylvester Stallone has had a long and storied career in entertainment and film. At 76 years old, he’s experienced a lot of what life has to offer, but in recent years, he’s realized that the most important things to him are much closer, and for a long time, he forgot that.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Stallone opened up about his struggling marriage to Jennifer Flavin, a marriage that nearly ended in divorce after 25 years before they walked the decision back.

“Let’s just say that it was a very tumultuous time,” Stallone said. “There was a reawakening of what was more valuable than anything, which is my love for my family. It takes precedence over my work, and that was a hard lesson to learn.”

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He talks about beating drugs, reconciling with his wife and making up with his daughters |✍️@SArmstrong1984https://t.co/2cEWnrBCwt

— Times Culture (@timesculture) October 30, 2022

Stallone has five children, both with Flavin and a previous marriage, and part of his realization was discovering how important it is to be a proper father to them. “I didn’t pay enough attention when they were growing up,” he shared. “I was so career-oriented, and now I go, ‘OK, I don’t have that much runway up ahead, and I want to start asking them about their lives.'”

“I ask them about their day, and they started at first a little monosyllabic,” he said. “Then I heard one say, ‘I was just thinking about you.’ Oh, my God. I’ve never heard that before in my life. When a daughter knows you care, she’s there forever.”