PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Sylvester Stallone allegedly paid millions of dollars to his half-sister, Toni-Ann Filiti, to conceal her abuse claims. The 'Rocky' actor is said to have made a private multimillion-dollar settlement with her during the height of his stardom.
Sylvester, or Sly as his supporters call him, has had his fair share of troubles. Despite his success in Hollywood, his immoral actions have been widely publicized and criticized. Sylvester's onscreen character is usually that of a gruff macho man, yet offscreen, he is known to be affable and to have a good sense of humor. However, surprising news of his alleged sexual assault of a child came to light in February 2016, during the #MeToo movement. Notably, he was accused of identical crimes by his half-sister, Toni-Ann Filiti, in 1987, but the matter was resolved out of court.
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Despite his numerous successful films, Sylvester's reported acts have astonished and upset his fans. This is a difficult pill to swallow for his fans, who have long viewed him as a hero and a symbol of manhood on the big screen. So, who exactly was Toni-Ann Filiti?
Who was Toni-Ann Filiti?
Toni-Ann was born on May 5, 1960, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Jackie Stallone and Anthony Filiti, when Sly was 18 years old. After her first marriage to Sly's father, Frank, ended in divorce after nine years, Jackie married Anthony Filiti. Toni-Ann, Sly's half-sister, died of lung cancer at her mother's house in Santa Monica, California in August 2012. Six weeks prior to the incident, Sly's 36-year-old son Sage died in a suspected drug overdose.
Toni-Ann appeared in 'The Appointment,' a 1996 film about a home-alarm salesperson, alongside her mother Jackie Stallone, according to IMDb. Toni-Ann was married twice and had a son, Edmund D'Alto, with second husband Louis D'Alto, an actor who also starred in 'The Appointment' and even had a part in Sly's 1997 movie 'Cop Land'. However, in 2001, they divorced.
Secret tapes of Sly and his half-sister 'destroyed as part of abuse payout deal'
As part of the settlement, a cache of covertly captured recordings between Sly and his half-sister, whom he allegedly abused, was destroyed. According to the actor's mother, Jackie Stallone, Sly paid his half-sister, Toni-Ann, more than $2 million to "shut her up" after she threatened to ruin his career with allegations of abuse. The 'Rocky' actor agreed to pay her a $2 million lump sum, as well as $16,666 every month for the rest of her life. However, shortly after the claim, it was revealed that recordings reportedly containing discussions between the duo were destroyed, according to secret settlement paperwork dated August 3, 1987. Sly was only named as 'S' in one document, according to the New York Post, as stated by The State Journal-Register.
According to uncovered court documents, he also set up a trust fund for her, paying $50,000 a year to cover medical expenditures and psychiatric care. Toni-Ann died of lung cancer at the age of 48 after a lengthy battle with the disease. Jackie, Sly's mother, admitted the actor had negotiated a financial settlement with her, but called it a "shakedown." She said Toni-Ann, her second husband's daughter, was a drug addict who blackmailed Sly in 1987, at the height of his stardom.
Toni-Ann, who was 23 at the time, threatened him with a lawsuit alleging abuse. She "asserted claims for personal injury, including physical injury" against Sly, according to court documents acquired by a New York publication. According to the documents, the actor "vigorously denied and continues to deny and dispute all claims of wrongdoing." Nonetheless, Sly's mother stated that his attorneys encouraged him to pay up in order to prevent a controversy that may have jeopardized his career. She stated her son had been blackmailed.
Despite Toni-Ann's accusations, Sly maintained close relations with his half-sister. He even cast her son, Edmund aka Edd, in his 1997 film 'Copland,' but the then-19-year-old insisted in 2013 that his mother was speaking the truth.
Sylvester Stallone is currently starring in 'The Family Stallone' alongside his family. The first two episodes are now available for streaming on Paramount+. More episodes are to follow every Wednesday thereafter.