Sylvester Stallone has denied his marriage to Jennifer Flavin broke down following a series of arguments over the family dog.
Sylvester Stallone has dismissed rumours he split from Jennifer Flavin over his new dog.
The couple's 25-year union came to an end with Jennifer filing for divorce on Friday (19.08.22) and a subsequent report suggested the pair parted ways following rows over care for their Rottweiler named Dwight - but Stallone is adamant they did not split over something so "trivial".
He told TMZ.com: "We did not end the relationship on such a trivial argument. We just went in different directions. I have the highest respect for Jennifer," added Stallone. "I will always love her. She's an amazing woman. She's the nicest human being I've ever met."
Dwight was a recent addition to the family, with Stallone sharing pictures of his new pooch on Instagram earlier this month and revealing he was named after the actor's character in 'Tulsa King'.
In a post on the social networking site, Stallone wrote: "So incredibly happy with my newly acquired four legged friend 'DWIGHT' my characters name from the Series, keep punching and keep barking !!! Thank you very much to Trainer and breeder Dave Smith and his wonderful wife !!!"
He later added: "DWIGHT. Definitely a true friend! KeepPunching And Keep barking!"
TMZ previously reported 76-year-old screen star Stallone and 54-year-old model Jennifer didn't see eye-to-eye over the new pooch - suggesting Jennifer wasn't keen on adding another dog to the family - and it lead to arguments over Dwight's care.
It comes after longtime dog lover Stallone was pictured getting a tattoo of his wife's face covered up with an image of Butkus - the bull mastiff featured in his 'Rocky' movies.
However, a representative for the actor insisted Stallone had simply wanted to correct a botched inking of his ex. They told DailyMail.co.uk: "Mr. Stallone intended to refresh the tattoo image of his wife Jennifer however the results were unsatisfactory and, unfortunately, unfixable. As a result, he had to cover the original image with a tattoo of his dog from Rocky, Butkus. Mr. Stallone loves his family. The Stallones are presently filming a reality show together which will debut on Paramount+".
After the split news was confirmed, Stallone - who has daughters Scarlet, 20, Sistine, 24, and Sophia, 25, with his wife - said: "I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues."
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