Pop Legend Elton John Recalls The Night Two Famous Actors Nearly Exhanged Blows Over Princess Diana
What happens when two leading men vie for the world’s most adored princess? Chaos—and Elton John saw it all
In the glamorous world of Hollywood, you’d think the egos and drama stay confined to movie sets. But, in a bombshell story shared by Elton John in his autobiography, Me: Elton John Official Autobiography, it turns out even the most A-list stars can lose their cool—especially when Princess Diana is in the mix.
The setting? A dinner party hosted by Elton John and his now-husband David Furnish in the early '90s. The guest list was teeming with Hollywood and royalty: George Michael, Richard Curtis, Richard Gere, and the showstopper herself, Princess Diana.
By this point, Diana had already separated from Prince Charles, and Richard Gere had split from Cindy Crawford. What could possibly go wrong?
According to Elton, Diana and Richard Gere hit it off almost instantly, bonding over the fireplace in what seemed like a budding friendship—or maybe more. But this cozy scene didn’t sit well with Sylvester Stallone, who reportedly had his eyes on the princess from the moment he arrived.
His jealousy simmered quietly, but tension was rising in the room—and not just from the fireplace. Eventually, dinner was served, and everyone moved to the dining room, but Stallone and Gere were noticeably absent from the table.
What happened next was straight out of a Hollywood movie. Scroll down for more details of this intriguing story...
Apparently, when Elton John hosts the party, all bets are off—especially when Hollywood giants like Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere are in the same room as Princess Diana.
[ADVERTISEMENT]
When David went to retrieve them, he found the two actors in a heated standoff, seemingly ready to duke it out in the corridor. That's right—Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere were about to throw punches, all because of their mutual admiration for Princess Diana.
In Elton's words, "I asked David to go and find them. He came back with both of them, but he was wearing a fairly ashen expression. 'We have...a situation.'
"It transpired that he'd discovered Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere in the corridor, squaring up to each other, apparently about to settle their differences over Diana by having a fistfight."
Elton described how David awkwardly diffused the situation by cheerfully calling them to dinner and pretending nothing was amiss. "He'd managed to calm things down by pretending he hadn't noticed what was going on — 'Hey, guys! Time for dinner!'
Though the showdown was avoided, Stallone was still visibly upset.
[ADVERTISEMENT]
Richard, Diana, and Stallone
Foxnews / Richard Gere (L), Princess Diana (C) and Sylvester Stallone (R) (Getty)[ADVERTISEMENT]
After dinner, Diana and Richard Gere resumed their position together in front of the fire. Stallone, on the other hand, stormed out—but not before pouring out his thoughts: “I never would have come if I’d known Prince f***in’ Charming was gonna be here....If I'd wanted her, I would've taken her!" Ouch!
As for Diana? She remained totally unbothered; she continued her conversation with Richard Gere like nothing had happened. Either she didn’t notice the brewing tension, or she was simply used to men losing their minds over her.
And who better to fill her in on the drama than George Michael? No doubt the pop legend gave her the full scoop later, turning what could’ve been a scandal into a private giggle between friends.
[ADVERTISEMENT]
George Michael and Princess Diana hanging out together. The pair were very good friends
PA Images[ADVERTISEMENT]
In the end, the only thing missing from this high-profile showdown was a popcorn stand. Who knew dinner parties could be this dramatic? But hey, even Elton couldn’t help but laugh once the dust settled!
Jesse
