Sylvester Stallone Opens Up About Bulimia and Extreme Body Obsession in New Memoir
Sylvester Stallone says in his upcoming memoir The Steps and a New York Times interview that he became bulimic while training for Rocky III. He described an extreme fixation on fitness, steroid use, and multiple surgeries, calling the experience masochistic. He also discussed changing his views on war and the Rambo films.
Stallone’s upcoming memoir, The Steps, borrows its name from the Philadelphia Museum of Art stairway central to Rocky. In a New York Times interview promoting it, the 80-year-old actor said his Rocky III training turned into an all-consuming fixation. He recalled dropping to 2.6 percent body fat and being unable to keep food down.
He also confirmed steroid use in on-and-off cycles and said the physical price included numerous back and neck surgeries. He described the whole ordeal as self-punishing, adding that playing the weakest character in 1997’s Cop Land brought relief. He further said his earlier Rambo-era war views were macho posturing and simplistic, and that his stance has shifted.
Stallone’s disclosures may resonate with fans and men who face pressure around physique and aging, groups often overlooked in body-image discussions. His account could encourage more open talk about disordered eating, compulsive exercise, and steroid use, though celebrity memoirs may also simplify complex health issues. The war commentary may draw attention, but its social effect is likely limited compared with the personal-health revelations.