What Sylvester Stallone says about the news of his separation from his wife

Sylvester Stallone has denied claims that his 25-year marriage ended because of his dog.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Stallone's wife, Jennifer Flavin, filed for divorce because they fought over a young Rottweiler named Dwight. The fight over the dog — as Flavin didn't want another animal, while Stallone wanted the dog for "protection" — allegedly led to an extremely heated argument that brought up other issues as well.

But Stallone has denied these news.

"We didn't end the relationship over such a trivial fight," the 76-year-old actor told TMZ, though he admitted the couple disagreed on "how to take care of the dog," given that they often travel and live in two home.

Stallone explained that the split came about as the couple were simply going "in different directions".

"I have the highest respect for Jennifer," he added. "I will always love him. She is an amazing woman. She is the best person I have ever met.”

He also talked about covering Flavin's tattoo with a portrait of Dwight.

The actor explained that he wanted to "freshen up" Flavin's tattoo, but "it got messed up and the dog was just a no-nonsense fix . " He added that he still has a tattoo of his wife on his back.

The couple began dating in 1988, when Flavin was a 19-year-old model and Stallone was 42, and divorced twice. They married in 1997 and have three daughters together, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.