Stallone and Gere's Princess Diana Feud Recalled
Elton John's memoir details a near-brawl between the actors over Princess Diana at a 1990s dinner party, years after a similar conflict on a film set.
Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere's animosity, which began on the set of "The Lords of Flatbush," resurfaced years later when they nearly fought over Princess Diana, according to Elton John.
In his 2019 memoir, "Me," John recounted a dinner party in the 1990s where Princess Diana, who was separated from Prince Charles at the time, seemed particularly engaged with Gere. Stallone, reportedly noticing the intense conversation between Diana and Gere, became agitated. John wrote that his husband, David Furnish, discovered the two actors on the verge of a physical altercation in a hallway.
Stallone allegedly expressed his displeasure, stating he wouldn't have attended if he knew "Prince f- -kin’ Charming was gonna be here. If I’d wanted her, I would’ve taken her!" He then departed the party. John noted that Diana appeared unfazed by the unfolding drama, suggesting she might not have been aware of it or that such situations were common for her.
The incident occurred around the time John was composing music for "The Lion King." Representatives for Stallone, Gere, and John did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This encounter followed an earlier feud between Stallone and Gere during the filming of "The Lords of Flatbush" in 1974. Stallone detailed this conflict in his memoir, "The Steps." He described an on-set tension that escalated during an ad-libbed audition scene. Stallone recounted how Gere's actions, including grabbing his shirt during a take, provoked him, leading Stallone to ask the director for permission to react as he would in real life, even threatening to "knock [Gere’s] teeth out."
Due to the persistent conflict, Gere was eventually replaced by Perry King in "The Lords of Flatbush." The rivalry continued even as filming commenced, with a near-physical confrontation occurring when Gere accidentally spilled chicken grease on Stallone, prompting Gere to insist he did not "want to get physical."
"The Steps" by Sylvester Stallone is available for purchase.