Sylvester Stallone is accused of creating a “toxic environment” on the set of the Paramount+ series Tulsa King.
The 77-year-old star of Rocky is accused of making derogatory comments about extras in the series, which was filmed in Atlanta, USA.
Tulsa King was created by Yellowstone’s showrunner Taylor Sheridan. The series stars Stallone as a New York mob boss who is released from prison after 25 years and exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. The first season of the series, which premiered in 2022, is currently filming the second season.
According to a report in Variety, the show’s casting director Rose Locke recently left the show.
Series screenwriter Julie Benson posted the following message on X/Twitter on April 8:
This week I received disturbing news from my friend from Atlanta who was an extra on Tulsa King. The casting director quit because he was so disgusted. My friend is now feeling anxious about working. [How will you defend yourself, sir? I’m beyond disappointed, I’m furious.
The post was accompanied by a screenshot of a Facebook message. In this image, Stallone allegedly asked the show director on set about the extras in the same scene with him, “What the hell is going on with these fucking ugly extras?”
“He and the director called some people horrible names and laughed at them,” Benson elaborated:
Sly said, ‘Bring some beautiful young girls around me.
The post was accompanied by a screenshot of an email apparently sent by Locke, in which he wrote that he had visited the set after being “made aware of some things”.
Benson continued:
Ultimately I resigned because there was an obviously toxic environment that I was uncomfortable putting myself or extras in.
The Independent contacted Stallone for comment but has not yet received a response.
In 2022, Stallone’s brother Frank praised the actor for completing the first season of Tulsa King following his divorce from his wife of 25 years, Jennifer Flavin.
Sylvester Stallone posted about the completion of the series:
This production, which just finished in Oklahoma, was very long, challenging, exciting and mind-blowing. It was hard to be away for so long, but it was worth it. We worked with amazing talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Frank commented on the post:
We are proud of you, true professionals show up through tough obstacles and get the job done.
