Stallones Ex Brigitte Nielsen Gave Birth at 54 & Became Mom of 5 She Hid Her Pregnancy at Fir

Publish date: 2024-06-11

Brigitte Nielsen | Brigitte Nielsen and Frida Dessi | Source: Youtube.com/Loose Women | Instagram.com/@realbrigittenielsen

Brigitte Nielsen is a Danish actress and model best known for her portrayal of Ludmilla Vobet Drago in "Rocky IV," where she starred alongside her ex-husband, Sylvester Stallone.

The pair met on set while filming the movie, and later that night, Nielsen took a chance and decided to shoot her shot with the man who played Rocky. While at a hotel in Manhattan during the production of the famous classic, Nielsen wrote a note to Stallone, asking to meet him, and slipped it underneath his hotel door.

Brigitte Nielsen at the Best Awards ceremony in 1988 | Source: Getty Images

The "Cobra" star included her number on the note and that same night, he called her back and came over to see her. They had an instant connection, and while Stallone was still a divorcing father of two at the time, he knew he wanted to get to know Nielsen better.

At 22 and 39 years old, Nielsen and Stallone decided to tie the knot on December 15, 1985. The extravagant wedding was hosted at the home of the action star's longtime friend and "Rocky" franchise producer Irwin Winkler. The Righteous Brothers performed at the wedding, and close friend Winkler recalled:

"We danced the night away. At the time, they were very much in love."

Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen sharing an embrace at their wedding at the home of Irwin Winkler, 1985 | Source: Getty Images

After two years of marriage, Stallone filed for divorce, and speculations about the reason behind the couple's split started swirling. Rumors circulated that Nielsen only married Stalone for his money and fame in the hopes that it would boost her career and popularity.

However, according to the "Domino" star, Stallone had actually been the one to plead with her to marry him. Nielsen revealed:

"I think the biggest misconception while I was with Sylvester was the fact that everybody thought I married him because of money. They didn't understand that he begged me to marry. He begged me, and I remember thinking, 'This is too early, this is not right,' [but] at the same time, everybody was going: 'Who wouldn't want to marry Rocky?!' "

Brigitte Nielsen and Raoul Meyer celebrating her birthday in Italy, 2001 | Source: Getty Images

Nielsen later admitted her regret in marrying Stallone, stating she should never have married him and he should not have married her. The Danish-born actress revealed she was probably not entirely "an angel" herself and was perhaps guilty of getting on his nerves too from time to time.

Following their split, Nielsen disclosed that she was blacklisted and could not find any work in the industry, forcing her to move back to Europe, where thankfully, she had some gigs lined up.

Bottom line, Nielsen said her marriage to Stallone ended with a messy divorce. In a sit-down interview with the late Larry King, Nielsen talked about Stallone and how she worked with him after their divorce. The "Red Sonja" actress brought up the fact that though Stallone is a good man and a talented actor, he was not as great of a husband to her. Nielsen had remarked:

"You know what? You can say a lot of good things about Sylvester. He is a horrible husband, at least he was with me, but as a writer, as a producer, as a director, I take my hat off [to him]."

Brigitte Nielsen and Sebastian Copeland at the Mission Hills Celebrity Sports Invitational in 1991 | Source: Getty Images

According to the Danish star, the worst piece of advice she had ever gotten was to marry Stallone. In the King interview, the host had asked if her marriage could seriously be considered as bad as she made it out to be, and she confirmed this to be the case. When asked how the two got along to film "Creed II," Nielsen said they showed each other dignity and respect and relied on their professional decorum to work together.

Nielsen has been married a total of five times and feels extremely happy with her fifth and current husband after spending years in unhappy relationships. Before marrying Stallone, she married the musician, producer, and composer Kasper Winding in 1983. The ex-couple had one son together, Julian Winding, but divorced a year later.

In 1990, Nielsen married photographer and director Sebastian Copeland, and the two divorced two years later. Prior to meeting Copeland, Nielsen was briefly engaged to football star Mark Gastineau for a year, and the couple welcomed a son—Killian Marcus Nielsen. Her fourth time down the aisle was with a race car driver, Raoul Meyer, in 1993, and the couple had two sons—Aaron Nielsen and Raoul Meyer Jr.

Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen in a scene from "Cobra" in 1986 | Source: Getty Images

Brigitte Nielsen's Fifth Journey to Motherhood at 54

Nielsen had four sons over the entire course of all her marriages and relationships prior to her fifth husband. By the time the "Mission of Justice" star reached the age of 40, she had consciously decided to freeze her eggs because she knew she wanted to have more children in the future.

Nielsen met former Italian model Mattia Dessi when she was 40 and still going through a difficult divorce with her ex-husband, Meyer. The actress had said she was not looking for love at the time. However, when she met her 15-years-younger partner, Dessi, Nielsen felt an undeniable and instant connection and attraction between them, which quite literally made her fall off her chair.

When Nielsen first knew she would become a mom to baby Frida Dessi...she and her husband did not share the wonderful news with anyone for the first 27 weeks.

Before she met the love of her life, Nielsen was battling with alcohol dependency. The Hollywood actress credited Dessi for helping with her sobriety:

"I'm literally a different person, and that has a lot to do with my husband because [he] doesn't smoke, [and he] doesn't drink. When I met him, I was like rock and roll, and he said, 'I adore you, but I cannot live with that.' I've had some strange men in my life, but I finally found the real deal."

Their first wedding ceremony in the Dominican Republic was not officially ordained nor legal because Nielsen was still legally married to Meyer with their divorce not yet finalized.

Finally, in 2005 the couple legally wed at the Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort & Spa in Malta. Interestingly enough, just before marrying Dessi, Nielsen was reportedly in a brief romantic relationship with rapper Flavor Flav when the two met in 2004 on "The Surreal Life."

Dessi and Nielsen knew right away that they wanted to have a family of their own. Given Nielson's age, the couple knew they would more than likely have to make use of other scientific methods to have children and immediately started trying. Nielsen spoke about their journey to fertility which began 11 years ago:

"15 years ago, I met the love of my life - Mattia Dessi, and he is 15 years younger than me [and] never had a baby, so we knew immediately that we wanted to try to have a baby. We tried for 11 years, and Miracle Frida [whom] I had last year, at 54. At 54, when you get pregnant, it doesn't mean [you will] have the baby. Every day you are high-risk pregnancy."

Mattia Dessi and Brigitte Nielsen at the Massimo Gargia Summer Party in France, 2011 | Source: Getty Images

Nielsen took the IVF route to bear a child with Dessi. She emphasized the importance of the resilience and strength needed for women who want to try the procedure and encourages them never to give up. For Nielsen, it is vital for women who wish to pursue IVF to be realistic and understand the difficulty that comes with dealing with the struggle of having a successful pregnancy.

The "Beverly Hills Cop II" talent disclosed how her doctors had informed her that she would only have a 2.5 percent chance of a successful pregnancy and birth. Thus, Nielsen gave advice for any woman looking to pursue IVF:

"You're on a lot of medication [and] it is [costly]. Hormones will do different things to different women [and] you always think you're going to get pregnant, but most of the time, the phone call comes, and it's: 'I'm sorry.' It is devastating. You have to stay realistic, and if you're older, the odds are against you."

Nielsen is very realistic when it comes to giving the public an honest picture of her fifth motherhood journey. She outlined how women should proceed if they know IVF is going to be a guaranteed route for them to have children:

"If you don't want to use [donor] eggs, you have to preserve your own eggs at a reasonable age for there to be a possibility. I wouldn't even bother trying after age 42."

When Nielsen was invited to discuss her pregnancy on "Loose Women," the star raved about how the pregnancy had been one of the best she had ever experienced. She gushed about the birth of her daughter and how she felt at the moment and ever since she was born:

"[It was] the most amazing pregnancy. The only thing I would say is that [there is] worry because it's a high-risk pregnancy that you will lose the baby, but I was feeling fantastic. Much better than my first, where I gained 70 pounds with Julian. I was so happy and so excited, and feeling her growing - the first time I felt her little kick, it's just amazing."

Nielsen wrapped up her interview by speaking about her wonderfully loving relationship with Dessi. The couple celebrated 15 years of marriage in 2019.

Nielsen boasts about how amazing Dessi has been as a first-time father and how they had spent almost 24 hours a day together since they first met, and she describes their marriage as the best time of her life.

Brigitte Nielsen Is a Mom of 5, Still Looks Fabulous, and Is Not Afraid to Flaunt It

When Nielsen first knew she would become a mom to baby Frida Dessi, her fifth child and first daughter, she and her husband did not share the wonderful news with anyone for the first 27 weeks. The couple was advised by their health practitioner not to disclose the pregnancy until Nielsen was far along enough to know that the baby would survive:

"My doctor said: 'If I were you, I wouldn't tell anyone until you're 27 weeks pregnant. They [Nielsen and her child] have a 98% chance of survival, though they will have to stay in the hospital.' "

When baby Frida arrived, her mother was ecstatic. Nielsen enthusiastically detailed how amazing she felt when giving birth and what the hospital scene looked like:

"The birth was amazing! I had a c-section, but you can imagine I couldn't wait for her to be there. I had my husband by my side, who is the love of my life, my miracle girl - she was out in a second [and] it was so easy, it was not a problem, I heard her little scream, and there she was, and it was probably the happiest moment in my entire life."

Nielsen was extra excited because Frida was her first girl. The actress explained how she was extra thrilled because she and her mother had shared a particularly close relationship, and she had prayed to God for the same experience.

The "Mercenaries" actress also felt blessed with the easy birthing experience she had with her daughter. She reported losing all the weight she gained during pregnancy in just two weeks.

But while Nielsen rejoiced in the birth of her daughter, others weren't thrilled. Nielsen received a plethora of hateful and harsh criticisms for her decision to have a baby at 54.

The Hollywood starlet exposed some of the backlash she had faced from the public when she announced her pregnancy and lashed right back:

"Some women think, 'Oh my God, I'm too old,' well yeah, I can understand people saying, 'How dare she?' But how many men have their first kids in their 60s and 70s, and they never doubt it? Do I understand that [a lot of people] are a bit skeptical? Yes, I understand [and] I also totally respect the fact that not everybody likes it and agrees with it, but it is my life."

The "Bye Bye Baby" star made it clear that she couldn't care any less about what critics and haters say about her decision. Nielsen shared her response to what judgmental individuals had to say:

"Some find it ridiculous, some find it awful, and some love it. I don't really think it's anyone's business. It's my husband and my life, and we love what we do. As for Frida, she'll say: 'Mom, you're an old hag,' and I'll say: 'Frida, I'm the best mom you ever had.' "

Mindless of the critics, Nielsen's focus is on her baby girl; empowering and protecting her is at the top of her list as a girl mom. The actress loves that she had her baby at 54 because when she had her firstborn at 20, she barely knew what to do. Being more seasoned and having gone through a lot of growth by the time she delivered Frida, she feels better equipped.

With her 60th birthday coming up in July this year, Nielsen has fully embraced her graceful aging. A strikingly beautiful photo of her posing poolside in a one-piece black swimsuit left her Instagram fans surprised and in awe. One fan noted how "blessed" she was with gorgeous, long legs.

Nielsen is a healthy buff who regularly works out, eats well, swims frequently, and abstains from smoking and drinking. She fully embraces the natural changes her body has gone through and still thrives in life as she ages. She revealed:

"I'm [delighted] with how I look. Of course, I look older - I am older - but when I look in the mirror, I think, 'Man, you look good.' I used to be very hard on myself, but I'm much kinder now. I was fearless then, and I'm fearless now, but I'm less reckless."

A comment on Nielsen's swimsuit photo posted on Instagram on March 28, 2023 | Source: Instagram.com/@realbrigittenielsen

After finding true love with her husband, Nielsen is content with her happy life. She is living her best life as she gears up to celebrate her 60th birthday with her loving husband and children by her side. The star has no regrets about pursuing childbirth over the age of 50 and encourages women to go for their dream of having kids at any age they please.

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