Sylvester Stallone Defends Daughter Scarlet’s Role in “Tulsa King”: ‘Of Course, It’s Nepotism’

Daniel S. LevineSat, October 24, 2026 at 1:26 AM UTC

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Scarlet Rose Stallone and Sylvester Stallone on ‘Tulsa King’Credit: Brian Douglas/Paramount+. -

Sylvester Stallone defended the casting of his daughter, Scarlet Rose Stallone, in Tulsa King

She plays a stablehand who is set to take a larger role in the show’s ongoing fourth season

New episodes of Tulsa King are released to Paramount+ on Fridays

Sylvester Stallone has no problem admitting that nepotism helped his daughter, Scarlet Rose Stallone, get a role on his hit Paramount+ show Tulsa King.

In the Taylor Sheridan-created drama, Stallone plays Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a mafia lieutenant sent to Oklahoma after getting out of prison. Scarlet, 24, has played stablehand Spencer since the show’s launch and is set to have an expanded role in the ongoing fourth season.

Stallone, 80, responded to critics of Scarlet’s casting in a new USA Today interview, published on Oct. 16.

Sylvester Stallone and Scarlet Rose Stallone on ‘Tulsa King’Credit: Brian Douglas/Paramount+.

“First they go, ‘Nepotism is terrible,’ ” the Rocky star said. “I said, ‘Oh please, you’re not a good parent if you haven’t performed a little nepotism. Then obviously you don’t care about your kids, because they come first.’ ”

“‘Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot,” Stallone continued. “That’s why we’re parents. We want the best for our children. So obviously we let them have every advantage.’ ”

While Stallone helped Scarlet get her foot in the door, she still has to earn a place in Hollywood, Stallone said.

“Can they maintain that level of excellence? That’s out of our hands,” Stallone told USA Today. “But if you can open the door, we’ll see if they have the ability to go through it. People will say, ‘She got that job, it’s too easy.’ You’re right. Perhaps it could be. But to maintain that, to be in front of millions of people, you either got it or you don’t.”

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Scarlet is one of three daughters Stallone shares with wife Jennifer Flavin, alongside Sophia, 30, and Sistine, 28. Stallone also welcomed two sons with ex-wife Sasha Czack, Seargeoh, 47, and Sage, who died in 2012 at age 36.

Scarlet Rose Stallone in ‘Tulsa King’Credit: Brian Douglas/Paramount+

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In an interview with PEOPLE at PaleyFest NY 2026 on Oct. 10, Scarlet said working professionally with her dad has “completely changed” their relationship.

“Before, he was working constantly, so getting to work together for once is just an amazing opportunity,” Scarlet told PEOPLE. “We’ve grown as friends. We’ve really become friends. We really got to know one another and really respect each other throughout this whole process, through the ups and downs.”

Alongside her work on Tulsa King, Scarlet also worked with Mel Gibson in Hunting Season and Nicolas Cage in Gunslingers, both released in 2025.

New episodes of Tulsa King are released on Paramount+ Fridays.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”