The man behind "Rocky" and "Rambo," Sylvester Stallone, claims he was blackmailed, by his own half-sister, Toni-Ann Filiti, over allegations that he abused her for years.
Filiti's assertions caused Stallone to agree into, basically, paying her hush money. According to the New York Post, the agreement, which was signed 26 years ago, includes: a payment of $2 million up-front, plus, $16,666.66 every month for as long as she lived. In addition to the money, Stallone also opened a trust for her, $50,000, per year, for medical and psychiatric expenses.
Stallone strenuously refuted the claim of abuse and continues to reject assertions of any and all wrongdoing in the matter.
"This was nothing more than a shakedown," said Stallone's mother, Jackie Stallone, to the New York Post.
Jackie Stallone added by telling the New York Post, "There were too many conflicting stories...At the time (in 1987) he was very hot, and his lawyers said, 'give her something just to shut her up.'"
This statement by Jackie Stallone, along with a further claim of "a drug addict will do anything," according to The Daily mail of England, caused Filiti's 19-year-old son, Edd Filiti, to respond.
"'They've made my mother out to be the black sheep," this statement is also according to The Daily Mail of England.
He goes on to affirm his mother's accusations, claiming that his mother told him about the abuse by "screaming about [them] over and over" during her stay in a Florida hospital last year.
This outburst by Edd isn't uncommon, after the passing of Sage, Stallone's first-born son, due to, what appeared to be a drug overdose, or suicide, last year, the then 18-year-old wrote, via Twitter, that Stallone was to blame for Sage's death because he had cut him out of his life, which, in turn, devastated the aspiring filmmaker.
He also stated that when Sage called his father to wish him happy birthday, Stallone didn't pick up.
"What did he [Sage] do wrong? Say happy birthday? Neither you (refereeing to Stallone's wife, Jennifer Flavin) or he could return a phone call, which is all he wanted, from his father [sic]," he posted for the world to read.
As for what Stallone himself thinks about the situation, his representative told the New York Post, "Unfortunately, celebrities, politicians and athletes frequently find themselves the targets of blackmail efforts by family members and associates who fabricate claims in order to extort payments for them."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
