Princess Diana Once Had 2 Hollywood Hunks Ready to Fight For Her Affection
There’s no denying Princess Diana was one of the most alluring women on the planet. Whether you were just reading about her or lucky enough to meet her in person, she always made a big impression. According to her pal Elton John, that included a pretty surprising (and brief) love triangle between her and a couple of particularly hunky actors.
John’s memoir, Me ($17.60, Amazon), has only been out for a few days now and it’s already causing quite a stir. We’d expect nothing less from the over-the-top and often-bedazzled entertainer, of course. In an excerpt published by the Daily Mail, the “Rocketman” singer spilled some juicy royal stories, including one where two of Hollywood’s leading men nearly came to blows over the opportunity to earn Princess Diana’s affection.
We know, it sounds like the plot of a Lifetime movie: A beautiful princess, freshly separated from her royal husband, gets invited to a mega-star’s dinner party where two beefcake actors square off to woo her. But according to John, this was a reality for Diana at a party he hosted at his London home in 1994.
As guests arrived, the princess immediately hit it off with Richard Gere. “They ended up sitting in front of the fireplace together, locked in rapt conversation.” Most of the other party guests didn’t seem to pay the pair any mind — except Sylvester Stallone, who apparently showed up that evening hoping to charm her himself. “Judging by the kind of looks he kept shooting them, Diana and Richard Gere’s newly blossoming friendship was not going down well with Sylvester Stallone at all.”
Let’s all take a moment to imagine a world where the action star ever had even the slightest possibility of becoming Prince William and Harry’s stepdad. Instead, he supposedly spent the night seething.
By the time dinner had been served, both he and Gere were nowhere to be found. A few moments later, John’s now-husband David Furnish informed the singer that they had a “situation” — the actors were in the corridor with fists barred, seemingly ready to throw down on Diana’s behalf. John and Furnish managed to soothe things over long enough for everyone to enjoy their meal, but a still-fuming Stallone was quickly escorted out of the house while yelling about how he wouldn’t have come to the party if he’d known there’d be any competition for Diana’s interest.
“We managed to wait until his car was out of sight before we started laughing,” John admitted. Back in the house, Diana seemed none the wiser about the whole ordeal as she and Gere returned to their spot by the fireplace. John calls this part of her famous Diana Effect: “[An effect] that could bring Hollywood superstars to the verge of a punch-up over her, like a couple of love-struck teenage idiots.”
And here we thought Harry was the first British royal to win any American celebs’ heart!
More From FIRST
35 of Princess Diana’s Best Fashion Moments We’re Still Fawning Over
The Sweet Photo that Proves Kate is Just Like Princess Diana When It Comes to Parenting
Queen Elizabeth Loves Binge-Watching Police Dramas Just Like the Rest of Us
