Jennifer Flavin Stallone, wife of Oscar-nominated actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone, is facing backlash after suggesting that some children of celebrities identify as transgender due to a lack of structure in Hollywood households.
Appearing on The Katie Miller Podcast — hosted by Republican political adviser and former Trump press secretary Katie Miller — Stallone speculated about the number of trans children with celebrity parents. The episode was released on 20 October.
“Is There Something in the Water in Hollywood?”
During the conversation, Miller asked Stallone why “so many” children of famous people are transgender.
“Is there something in the water in Hollywood?” she joked.
Stallone responded by saying:
“Hollywood is all about expression. However you want to express yourself… If you feel like a cat today, you’re a cat,”
— referencing a debunked right-wing hoax suggesting schools were installing litter boxes for children who identify as animals.
“It’s so loosey-goosey,” she continued. “I don’t think we’re really understanding that these kids are not our accessories. They’re little human beings that need structure. And structure is really important for them because it helps their brain organise everything.”
“Too Much of Everything”
Stallone, a former model and cosmetics entrepreneur who married the Rocky star in 1997, went on to argue that children in celebrity households might be more likely to feel “confused” due to excess.
“I think growing up in a Hollywood home, there’s really no structure because you have this thing going, and you’ve got private planes. And you’ve got all these giant homes with chefs and secretaries and assistants and, you know, housekeepers and nannies,”
“And there’s just too much of everything. It gets really confusing for a little person.”
She then advised parents to use “good common sense” when raising children, implying that some may be pressured into identifying as trans.
“It’s OK what you decide to be as an adult. But raise them just with good common sense.”
She gave an example of her own children:
“My daughters were tomboys. They preferred to wear pants than dresses, you know. And they loved sports. But I never said, ‘Oh, you’re a boy now.’ I just said, ‘You love to play sports, you love to hang out with boys, that’s awesome.’”
Social Media Reacts: “Sad Hearing This”
The podcast clip was later shared by Miller on Instagram, prompting critical responses.
“Sad hearing this,” one user wrote. “Living in Hollywood, Alabama etc does not make you trans.”
Another added: “It’s always best to keep your opinion to yourself when you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A third questioned: “Did she actually think there was some logic in what she said?”
Debunking the “Social Contagion” Theory
There is no evidence that children of celebrities are more likely to be transgender. Many LGBTQ+ advocates and researchers have criticised this rhetoric as reinforcing the widely debunked idea of “social contagion” — the notion that being transgender is trendy or contagious among youth.
A 2019 study found that less than 0.5% of over 3,300 people who accessed gender-affirming healthcare later expressed regret — undermining claims that young people are being “pushed” into transitioning.
Celebrities such as Robert De Niro, Jamie Lee Curtis, Gabrielle Union, and Mel B have openly supported their trans children, and many argue such visibility is vital in normalising diverse identities — not indicative of any pattern or problem.
