More than 50 years after he and Richard Gere fought on the set of The Lords of Flatbush, Sylvester Stallone has finally pulled back the curtain on what triggered their physical altercation. In his newly released memoir, The Steps, the iconic actor details the mounting tension that defined their brief time working together.
Stallone notes that while he initially found a rhythm with other co-stars like Robert De Niro, his dynamic with Gere was fraught from the start. The friction escalated during rehearsals when, according to Stallone, Gere’s fingernails dug into his skin during a scene. Despite Stallone’s request for him to back off, the behavior persisted, ultimately stirring what the actor described as an "emotional cauldron."
Seeking to handle the situation professionally, Stallone consulted director Stephen Verona. When asked how he would react if the behavior continued in real life, Stallone candidly replied, "I’d knock his teeth out." The situation reached a breaking point during a shared lunch break. After Stallone warned his co-star not to make a mess, Gere allegedly spilled chicken grease onto Stallone’s leg. The reaction was immediate: Stallone elbowed him across the chest and pulled him from the car, leading to a confrontation that ultimately forced the production to choose between them.
"It was clear to everyone that this wasn’t working," Stallone wrote. "One of us had to go." Ultimately, both Gere and De Niro departed the project, with Perry King and Henry Winkler stepping in to fill the roles. Stallone reflects on the change as a silver lining, noting that it paved the way for his enduring friendship with Winkler.