Sylvester Stallone has revisited his long-running feud with Richard Gere in his new memoir, The Steps, released on September 29. The 80-year-old actor recounts how tensions erupted during auditions for the 1974 film The Lords of Flatbush, where he also worked alongside Robert De Niro during the casting process. According to Stallone, his improvisation with De Niro went smoothly, but his scenes with Gere quickly became uncomfortable.

Stallone claims Gere repeatedly grabbed his T-shirt during an audition, digging his fingernails into his skin despite being asked to stop. He later asked director Stephen Verona whether he could respond as he would in real life. When Stallone said he would “knock his teeth out,” the director reportedly warned him not to. The actor says the tension escalated further during a lunch break when grease from Gere’s chicken spilled onto his leg.

According to Stallone’s account, he reacted by elbowing Gere in the chest before getting out of the car and moving toward him. Gere reportedly said he did not want the situation to become physical, while Verona stepped between the two actors. Stallone recalls that it soon became clear their working relationship was not going to succeed, and one of them would have to leave the production.

Stallone says he ultimately remained on the project while Gere was dismissed. Robert De Niro also left to pursue another project, and Perry King and Henry Winkler eventually replaced the original actors in the film. The Lords of Flatbush also starred Paul Mace and Susan Blakely, with Stallone receiving credit for additional dialogue. Gere’s representatives were contacted for comment, but no response was included in the original report.