Sage Stallone death: Dad Sylvester seeks privacy, less speculation

Sylvester Stallone wants to silence the “the speculation and questionable reporting� around Sage Stallone’s death.

“The Expendables� actor’s 36-year-old son was found dead at home Friday afternoon, and an autopsy was conducted over the weekend.

“When a parent loses a child there is no greater pain,� Sly told TMZ in a statement. “Therefore I am imploring people to respect my talented son’s memory and feel compassion for his loving mother, Sasha.�

Authorities told The Times that foul play was not suspected in the death of Sage, who made his film debut at 14 opposite his father playing Rocky Balboa Jr. in “Rocky V.�

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“This agonizing loss will be felt for the rest of our lives,� Sylvester Stallone continued in the statement. “Sage was our first child and the center of our universe and I am humbly begging for all to have my son’s memory and soul left in peace.�

Since the writer-producer and actor was found by his housekeeper Friday afternoon in his Studio City home, mixed reports and morbid guesses have surged through the media: Was Sage a pill addict? A hermit? Undiscovered for days? A man with heart issues?

OBITUARY: Sage Stallone, dead at 36

Here are the facts, rumors ignored:

Sage’s autopsy was completed Sunday morning, Lt. Cheryl MacWillie of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office told The Times. The official cause of death won’t be determined until toxicology reports are complete, and that could take months.

Coroner’s staff removed some prescription drugs and other items from the home Friday afternoon, The Times reported, but Ed Winter of the coroner’s office stressed that it wasn’t clear any of that played a role in Sage’s death. Reviewing some prescription drugs is not uncommon in the course of a death investigation.

After his childhood “Rocky�role, Sage appeared in 10 other movies and short films, most recently in a 2011 television documentary on the “Rocky� series.

He also worked as a director and screenwriter, and co-founded Grindhouse Releasing.

“Sage was a very talented and wonderful young man,� Sylvester Stallone’s publicist, Michelle Bega, told The Times. “His loss will be felt forever.�

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Follow Danielle Paquette on Twitter @DpaquetteLA. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs.