Sistine Stallone Reveals Sylvester Stallone Once Put a Knife in Her Backpack for Self-Defense

In the season 2 premiere of The Family Stallone, Sistine Stallone shared a surprising childhood memory that left viewers — and even her — shaking their heads. The 25-year-old revealed that her father, action movie legend Sylvester Stallone, once slipped a small knife into her backpack when she was in 4th grade, as a self-defense measure.

A Surprising Confession on The Family Stallone

The Paramount+ reality series, which follows the Stallone family’s move from California to Palm Beach, Florida, opened its second season with a focus on safety. In the episode, Sistine and her sister Sophia, 27, were shown training with the Defense Strategies Group in New York City, a decision prompted by their father’s concerns about urban safety.

During a confessional, Sistine recalled her father’s unconventional approach to protection when she was a child:

“He put a little knife in my backpack in 4th grade… Oh my God, that’s so bad!”

She also revealed that the knife incident wasn’t the only extreme safety drill they endured. At one point, Sylvester had his daughters practice spraying each other with pepper spray — something Sistine described as “so bad” but clearly remembered with a mix of disbelief and humor.

From Rambo to Real Life

Known worldwide for his roles as Rocky and Rambo, the 77-year-old Stallone has long embodied on-screen heroics. But his daughters say that protective streak extended far beyond the cameras.

“I’m not playing a game – these are the guys that have seen combat, faced death. This is the real deal,” Stallone told his daughters during the training session, which was led by former Navy SEAL Mike and instructor Nathan. The drills involved boxing gloves, mats, and defensive maneuvers — a far cry from the improvised knife-in-a-backpack strategy of Sistine’s childhood.

Scarlet Stallone, the youngest at 21 and a student at the University of Miami, was not part of this specific training, though she remains a fixture in the family dynamic showcased on the series.

An Unusual Approach to Safety

Placing a knife in a child’s school bag is undoubtedly unconventional — and in most schools, it would violate strict zero-tolerance policies on weapons. None of the reports indicate any legal fallout from the incident, suggesting it was shared more as a colorful anecdote than an active recommendation.

Still, the moment illustrates Stallone’s long-standing emphasis on preparing his daughters for potential threats. Over time, the family’s approach has shifted from risky, ad hoc measures to formal, professionally led training sessions.

Fans React to the Revelation

Coverage in People, The Independent, and Daily Mail shows that public reaction has been a mix of amusement, surprise, and admiration for Stallone’s fierce protectiveness. While some may question the wisdom of arming a 9- or 10-year-old with a blade, others see it as a reflection of a father unwilling to leave his daughters unprepared.

As the Stallones settle into their Florida life, The Family Stallone continues to offer an intimate, often quirky window into a household where Hollywood meets hands-on parenting — sometimes with a little more Rambo than PTA.