Sylvester Stallone Breaks Down His Near-Divorce From Wife Jennifer Flavin

Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin's love story hasn't been easy but it's proven to be worth it. The couple — who first met in the late '80s — started dating in 1990 and have spent nearly three decades together, according to Us Weekly. Several years into their relationship, Flavin was shocked to find out Stallone was having an affair with model Janice Dickinson. However, instead of trying to work it out, the "Creed" actor mailed his longtime partner a "sloppy" handwritten letter informing her of the breakup. "You can't just write somebody off in a letter after six years," Flavin said during an interview with People. "It's not like I was going to try to beg him to come back to me or anything. I just wanted to talk."

In 1996, two years after their split, the pair reunited and welcomed their first child together. Stallone and Flavin also got married just a few months after celebrating the birth of their daughter. "I have had two great things happen to me in the past year — the birth of our beautiful daughter Sophia Rose and now my marriage to Jennifer, who is a great mother and I know will be a wonderful wife," Stallone said (via Mamamia). Three years later, they welcomed their second child together Sistine and had Scarlet in 2002. 

But, despite their history as a happy family, Stallone was very close to losing it all this year — for good this time. 

Sylvester Stallone is opening up about a dark time in his marriage. During an interview with the Sunday Times, the "Backtrace" star admitted he wasn't prioritizing his family and almost lost them completely. "There was a reawakening of what was more valuable than anything, which is my love for my family," he told the outlet (via People). "It takes precedence over my work, and that was a hard lesson to learn." Back in August, Jennifer Flavin filed for divorce from Stallone after 25 years of marriage, according to TMZ. Although it was unclear what prompted Flavin to call it quits, the divorce proceedings quickly turned messy. 

However, just a few weeks after the pair attempted to dissolve their union, court documents obtained by USA Today revealed they decided to call it off. "The Parties agree that it is in the best interests of each of them individually, and more importantly collectively as a family, to resolve all issues," the document read. Although their breakup was short-lived, Stallone still described it as a "tumultuous time" in his life. 

"I didn't pay enough attention when they were growing up," the actor told Sunday Times in reference to his kids (via People). "I was so career-oriented, and now I go, 'OK, I don't have that much runway up ahead, and I want to start asking them about their lives.'" With nothing left to prove in his career, now is Stallone's time for his family.