Sylvester Stallone Admits Casting His Daughter in ‘Tulsa King’ Is Nepotism, and He’s Not Sorry

Few topics stir up Hollywood conversation quite like nepotism. Every time a famous child lands a role, the same argument returns about talent, access and who gets the first opportunity. The debate is especially loud when a parent and child share the screen.

On ‘Tulsa King‘, that situation is playing out in real time. Scarlet Rose Stallone, the 24-year-old youngest daughter of Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin, plays Spencer on the Paramount+ crime drama created by Taylor Sheridan. She first appeared in Season 1, Episode 2 as a recurring character and has since become a regular.

Now Stallone has addressed the criticism head-on, and his answer is about as blunt as it gets. In an October 16 interview with USA Today, published as the show returned for its fourth season, the 80-year-old star acknowledged that it is nepotism and dismissed the critics who object. His reasoning is simple: parents want the best for their children, so they give them every advantage.

He explained that people who criticize nepotism are effectively suggesting parents shouldn’t care about their kids, since children come first. In his view, helping them is just part of being a parent. He has also joked that you are not a good parent if you haven’t performed a little nepotism.

Stallone was clear that an open door is only the beginning. Whether his children can maintain a high level of excellence is out of his hands, he said, and the point is to see whether they can walk through it. That framing suggests he believes the opportunity is a starting line rather than a guarantee.

Spencer has expanded steadily over the course of the series. By Season 3, she was helping Jay Will’s Tyson and Chris Caldovino’s Goodie scout a fraternity house for a drug theft, and she told TV Insider that the character had grown more comfortable with the crew. In Season 4, Spencer is a former barista turned horse caretaker and stablehand at Fennario Ranch, a job Dwight Manfredi arranges.

The Season 4 premiere finds her still selling ecstasy with Tyson, though they have lost their cook, Bodhi, played by Martin Starr. Something new also appears to be developing between Spencer and Garrett Hedlund’s Mitch. Paramount+ has reportedly promoted Scarlet to series regular for Season 5.

Speaking separately to PEOPLE at PaleyFest NY on October 10, Scarlet said working with her father allowed them to become friends. She recalled that his earlier filming schedules left them with less time together. That perspective adds a personal layer to a story that is usually told only through the nepotism lens.

The Stallones have been open about working together. Paramount+ previously announced ‘The Family Stallone’, a reality series following Sylvester, his wife and daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet. Sophia has said she isn’t interested in acting, while Sistine and Scarlet have both expressed hopes of entering the entertainment industry.

Scarlet has also reportedly teamed up with Rayll to develop ‘Fears To Fathom’, a horror video game franchise, for film and TV. That points to ambitions beyond one show. Whether those projects succeed will say more about her career than any debate over how she got started.

The teaser trailer for ‘Tulsa King’ Season 4 has been released https://t.co/4bm28dtDWo

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The series is in strong shape. Stallone stars as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mob capo exiled to Oklahoma after 25 years in prison, alongside Martin Starr, Jay Will, Vincent Piazza, Annabella Sciorra, Frank Grillo, Neal McDonough and others. Season 4 has 10 episodes released weekly on Fridays, with the finale set for December 18.

Paramount+ has already renewed the show for Season 5, and production has moved from Atlanta to New York, Dwight’s hometown. Stallone’s comments only add fuel to a conversation that is not going away. For now, he seems perfectly comfortable defending his choice.

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