Sylvester Stallone Says He ‘Can’t Retire’ Because He Has to Pay for Daughter Sophia’s Wedding: ‘I’m Serious’

The ‘Tulsa King’ star, 80, is a father to five children

Sylvester Stallone and Sophia Stallone. Credit :Sophia Stallone/Instagram

Sylvester Stallone says he’s working hard to foot the bill for his daughter Sophia Stallone‘s upcoming wedding.

During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Tulsa King star, 80, was asked by co-host Kelly Ripa how much he’s “gonna pony up” for Sophia’s nuptials.

“Oh, man, it’s almost embarrassing to say — but I can’t retire,” Sylvester replied, eliciting laughs from the studio audience. “I can’t retire.”

“I’m serious!” he insisted.

Sophia, 30, announced her engagement to boyfriend Michael Sheehan on Aug. 28. She shared photos of the romantic proposal on Instagram at the time, writing, “Forever with my best friend ♾️.”

Michael Sheehan and Sophia Stallone.Sophia Stallone/Instagram

Sylvester praised his future son-in-law on Live, calling him “a great guy.” He also revealed that Sheehan asked him for his blessing before popping the question to Sophia.

“He actually asked for her hand,” the action star said, prompting Ripa, 56, to joke, “He must have been terrified!”

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Co-host Mark Consuelos then chimed in, asking Sylvester, “Did he say to you, ‘I wanna know if you wouldn’t mind if I married your daughter so much?’ ” He was referencing an iconic line from Rocky II when Sylvester’s character, Rocky Balboa, proposes to love interest Adrian by saying, “I was wonderin’ if, uh, you wouldn’t mind marryin’ me very much.”

Sylvester Stallone and Sophia Stallone.Sylvestor Stallone/Instagram

“I won’t leave no hair in the sink,” Sylvester quipped back — quoting a promise Rocky makes to Adrian.

Sylvester went on to praise Sheehan for being “very confident” ahead of his proposal. “I went, ‘Wow, good luck, pal,’ ” he joked. “But my wife [Jennifer Flavin] had to be there to be referee.”

Sylvester and Flavin — who have been married since 1997 — share Sophia and daughters Sistine, 28, and Scarlet, 24. The Rambo star welcomed two sons — Seargeoh, 47, and Sage, who died in 2012 at age 36 — with his first wife, Sasha Czack.

From left: Scarlet Stallone, Sistine Stallone, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin and Sophia Stallone.Patrick McMullan/Getty

Flavin, 58, revealed in a 2012 interview with Paris Match that of all three of her and the actor’s daughters, Sophia takes after her dad the most.

“They have a very special bond. They think alike and even have the same gestures,” she said, adding, “Sophia is the love of his life.”