Sylvester Stallone On Casting Daughter In 'Tulsa King': "Of Course It’s Nepotism, You Idiot"
News Source
•Sat, 24 Oct 2026 18:03:45 +0000
📰 What Happened
Sylvester Stallone says he has no problem with people calling him a nepotist after he cast his daughter Scarlet Rose Stallone in his series Tulsa King. "Of course it's nepotism, you idiot," he told USA Today in an interview from 16 October that has since gone viral.
Stallone argued that helping your children is part of being a parent. "You're not a good parent if you haven't performed a little nepotism," he said. He added that parents can only open the door, and the child still has to prove they can do the job.
He said critics are right that the role may have come easily, but that staying in front of millions of viewers is down to talent.
🔍 The Backstory
The "nepo baby" argument has grown louder as the children of famous performers win prominent roles. Ryan Murphy's shows alone have cast Billie Lourd, Emma Roberts, Lily Rabe, Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere and Ella Beatty.
Critics say famous families crowd out actors who have no connections and no money to wait for a break, and that the advantage is invisible to the people who benefit from it.
Stallone, 80, is best known for Rocky and Rambo and now leads Tulsa King, a crime series set among the mafia in Oklahoma.
🎯 Why It Matters
It is a blunt answer to a question the film industry often dodges. Famous parents can open doors, and the argument is really about who never gets a chance at all.
Sylvester Stallone says he has no problem with people calling him a nepotist after he cast his daughter Scarlet Rose Stallone in his series Tulsa King. "Of course it's nepotism, you idiot," he told USA Today in an interview from 16 October that has since gone viral.
Stallone argued that helping your children is part of being a parent. "You're not a good parent if you haven't performed a little nepotism," he said. He added that parents can only open the door, and the child still has to prove they can do the job.
He said critics are right that the role may have come easily, but that staying in front of millions of viewers is down to talent.
The "nepo baby" argument has grown louder as the children of famous performers win prominent roles. Ryan Murphy's shows alone have cast Billie Lourd, Emma Roberts, Lily Rabe, Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere and Ella Beatty.
Critics say famous families crowd out actors who have no connections and no money to wait for a break, and that the advantage is invisible to the people who benefit from it.
Stallone, 80, is best known for Rocky and Rambo and now leads Tulsa King, a crime series set among the mafia in Oklahoma.
It is a blunt answer to a question the film industry often dodges. Famous parents can open doors, and the argument is really about who never gets a chance at all.