At a time when being photographed beside Princess Diana could make headlines across continents, and being seen around her could skyrocket your fame, two of Hollywood’s biggest names made Elton John’s house party a battleground just for a conversation with the People’s Princess. Shocking, right?
This is not an entirely new story, but it is being retold in Edward White’s new book, Dianaworld: An Obsession. Elton John first mentioned it in his 2019 memoir Me, but White’s book brings it back with fresh perspective. What started as just another night among celebrities and royalty turned awkward.
Sylvester Stallone came to the party with the goal of charming Princess Diana – and Richard Gere wasn’t having any of it
Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere both attended one of Elton John’s famous gatherings in the ‘90s. Diana was there too. The fuss started when Stallone spotted Diana and Gere deep in conversation by the fireplace. The tension grew quietly at first, then reportedly spilled into a near fistfight in the hallway.
Edward White claims Stallone arrived at the party with the goal of charming Diana. But as he saw Gere getting her full attention, his frustration grew. When it was time for dinner, the two men were nowhere to be found. David Furnish, Elton’s husband, went to look for them and returned with both actors looking visibly tense. Elton later joked that neither Stallone nor Gere really stood a chance with Diana, but that didn’t stop their egos from clashing. Diana, for her part, was reportedly calm and unbothered by the drama.
Sylvester Stallone called the story a “complete fabrication”
Sylvester Stallone later dismissed the story as a “complete fabrication.” Well, it would be quite hard for Stallone to deny it now that the incident is etched in two books. White’s book includes another moment when Stallone tried to sit next to Diana at a charity event in London. Organizers stopped him, so he settled for a seat beside a child who was beside Diana.
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The princess leaned over the child and asked Stallone questions about his love life. She claimed it wasn’t for herself, but for the child’s curiosity. Whether that was true or not, we would never know now. The book also shares the night Freddie Mercury helped Diana sneak into a gay bar, dressed in disguise. More than twenty-five years after her death, Diana still holds the world’s attention with stories that make headlines.