EXCLUSIVE: Sylvester Stallone Faces 'Plastic Surgery' Speculation Amid Book Tour

Stallone, whose career spans more than five decades, has previously explained some of his distinctive facial features result from nerve damage sustained at birth.

Nevertheless, cosmetic surgery commentators have continued to speculate about whether he has undergone procedures to maintain his appearance.

Stallone has also addressed suggestions his facial appearance reflects cosmetic intervention, pointing out his birth-related condition is frequently misunderstood.

Despite that explanation, some cosmetic surgery analysts have suggested Stallone may have undergone a facelift and facial fat transfer during the late 1990s or around 2000.

Their assessments have focused on the actor's relatively defined jawline and the appearance of his neck, particularly in recent television appearances.

A Hollywood insider told us: "What's unfortunate is that Sylvester is supposed to be out there celebrating his extraordinary career and promoting his book, but the conversation keeps drifting back to the state of his face. Instead of discussing everything he's achieved, people seem far more interested in picking apart how he looks. There's a particularly cruel side to Hollywood when it comes to aging, and the suggestion that his appearance is becoming a source of amusement is pretty unpleasant.

"There's been speculation about Sylvester having cosmetic work for years, but every time he appears in a new interview, the discussion seems to start all over again. People scrutinize his jawline, his forehead and the area around his eyes, almost as though they're searching for evidence of another procedure. The problem is that nobody outside his medical team can say with certainty what he's actually had done, but trolls are saying it looks as if he has had several facelifts.

"When someone has been famous for as long as Sly has, audiences inevitably compare how they look today with photographs from 30 or 40 years ago. But there's a difference between noticing those changes and turning someone's face into a punchline.

"Sylvester comes from a generation of action stars whose entire careers were built around looking physically formidable. That's an incredibly difficult image to maintain as you get older. There's pressure to remain recognizable, youthful and tough, while at the same time people are quick to criticize anyone they suspect of having cosmetic treatments. It's almost an impossible standard.

"People have pointed to everything from possible facelifts and fat transfers to eyelid surgery, Botox and hair restoration. But those are observations based on appearances, not medical evidence. You cannot reliably establish someone's surgical history from photographs or television interviews, particularly when lighting, makeup and natural aging can make such a dramatic difference.

"One thing that tends to get completely overlooked is that Sylvester has spoken openly about the facial nerve damage he suffered at birth. His distinctive expressions and the way his mouth moves have been part of his appearance since long before he became famous. It's unfair to automatically interpret those characteristics as evidence of cosmetic surgery, especially when there's a documented medical explanation.

"But the harsh reality is that celebrities are constantly being judged for growing older, and Sylvester is no exception. If they age naturally, people criticize them for looking old. If their appearance changes in a way that suggests they might have had help, they're accused of going too far. The scrutiny can become relentless, and it often has very little to do with their actual work.

"At this stage of his life, Sylvester has an enormous amount to reflect on, from Rocky and Rambo to everything he's achieved in television. His book promotion ought to be an opportunity to hear those stories in his own words. Instead, the possibility that his appearance could overshadow the interviews says a great deal about the way Hollywood treats its older stars. It's a shame when someone's face becomes more important than what they have to say."

In his new streaming series Tulsa King, Stallone's portrayal of a veteran mobster has brought his appearance before a new generation of viewers, renewing discussion about how he has maintained his screen image.

Other speculation has centered on his hairline, with some observers suggesting there is strong evidence he may have undergone follicular unit transplantation, commonly known as FUT, or surgical hairline advancement.

Commentators have also pointed to the appearance of Stallone's upper eyelids and eyebrows as possible indicators of cosmetic intervention.

Among the procedures suggested are upper blepharoplasty, which removes or repositions tissue around the eyelids, and brow lifting, which can alter the position of the eyebrows.

Further speculation about how he maintains his looks has involved gossip he uses Botox and injectable fillers, with some cosmetic surgery observers suggesting such treatments could explain Stallone's comparatively smooth forehead.