A once-popular TV star and model has revealed how he was “blackballed” from Hollywood for supporting Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign.
Actor and model Antonio Sabato Jr. is planning a comeback, but this time inside the boxing ring.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the former Melrose Place and General Hospital heartthrob revealed that he has signed with the owners of Celebrity Boxing and hopes to step into the ring against professionals like Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.
The man, now 52, said he has gone through “a lot of growing up” since he said he was ostracized by the “Hollywood elite” after supporting Trump’s first campaign.
Sabato was widely criticized after a controversial speech he gave at the Republican National Convention in 2016, saying that Barack Obama was not a Christian, but a Muslim “from the bad side.”
The actor said he has been blacklisted by “the Hollywood elite” since he endorsed Donald Trump at the 2016 RNC, which was held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
Sabato said his agents abandoned him shortly after his appearance at the Republican National Convention and that projects he had planned disappeared.
He said he has struggled for years, but things “are getting better.”
“If you don’t agree with the power of Hollywood in the key points of our country, things could become very dangerous,” said the actor. “I think it’s going to be like that for the rest of my life. But whether you disagree with me or not, you have to respect someone who stands up to a bully.
‘They tried to blacklist me and make sure I never worked in this city again, but I’m going to keep working and making my way.’
Sabato, best known for his roles on television shows such as Melrose Place and General Hospital, has also appeared in dozens of films and other shows, including as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars in 2014.
He even tried his hand at politics, running for California’s 26th Congressional District seat against incumbent Democratic Sen. Julia Brownley in 2018.
However, his campaign suffered a major hit after his then-wife, Marie, filed for divorce and claimed that the actor was abusing prescription benzodiazepines.
Sabato finished second in the 2018 primaries.
He said he went from starring in television roles in Hollywood to driving construction crews throughout Florida, where he decided to move his family about seven years ago.
“No one was hiring me in the Hollywood world, but I needed to make enough money to survive and take care of my family,” he said. ‘I rolled up my sleeves, put my ego in check and did what I had to do.
Antonio Sabato Jr, with Heather Locklear on Melrose Place
Actor and model Antonio Sabato Jr. said he is looking forward to getting back on the boxing ring after signing with Celebrity Boxing
Sabato was a strong supporter of Donald Trump, but now the actor said he has distanced himself from the former president and both parties.
“I was going to job sites from midnight to six in the morning and then doing the work, like pouring the concrete from the truck. I did it all.”
He said he has also confessed to his drug problems and has been drug-free for the past eight years.
He credits his wife, Katia, his children and his strong faith with keeping him sober.
“Love is amazing and God is good,” said Sabato, who recently celebrated his seventh anniversary with his wife. ‘I’m a recovering addict and I went through life and death. Now I am in the best place of my life.
‘My life has been very challenging and I want to share that journey with people to give them some hope. Maybe to cheer them up so they can say, ‘Wow, Antonio went through all this s**t, but now look at him!’ That’s what life is all about: having those moments that could change your perspective and help you get your life back on track.’
While the former model said she has left politics behind, she still has strong criticisms of both Democrats and Republicans.
“I was a Democrat at one point and then I became a Republican,” he said. “I got to know both parties very well, the good ones and the bad ones, and now I know I don’t want anything to do with either of them since I’m now an independent.”
Celebrity boxing has grown in popularity over the years. Antonio Sabato Jr. said he hopes to showcase his on-court skills against a genuine contender.
Sabato took to social media and asked his fans who they would like to see him fight inside the boxing ring.
‘I think Biden is doing a terrible job and the country is in terrible shape. Both sides are the problem because they don’t help people. They’re really only looking out for themselves and don’t care at all about the well-being of the people.’
While he no longer supports Trump or the Republican Party, Sabato said the former president and now convicted felon was unfairly prosecuted.
‘With all the real crimes that politicians have committed, they want to focus on something that had nothing to do with Trump becoming president. The country is not doing well, but we have another chance to turn things around.’
Celebrity Boxing founder and CEO Damon Feldman said he has followed Antonio’s dedication to boxing and training over the years and thought he would be the perfect person to host a professional wrestling league called ‘XRumble.’
Feldman said the league will be fully sanctioned and fighters will be able to use “modified” versions of boxing, mixed martial arts and bare-knuckle fighting.
“I’ve always remembered Antonio over the years,” Feldman told DailyMail.com. “The new platform will start with Antonio, who will be part of this big card, and we’ll have another crossover fight between actor David Kurzhal and Sugar Shane Mosley. We’re looking for another actor, athlete, former world boxing champion who would like the opportunity to fight Antonio.”
Celebrity Boxing founder and CEO Damon Feldman said Sabato’s upcoming fight will help promote a new professional wrestling league called ‘XRumble’
The actor said he would prefer to focus on his family and his next goal: getting into the ring with a top boxer. Sabato said that once Celebrity Boxing finds an opponent for him, he will travel back to California, where he plans to undergo rigorous training.
“I want to do this because I want to be in the spotlight again, but I also know I’m there physically,” Sabato said.
“Whether people like it or not, or agree with my politics or not, they will know that I am going to show up ready.” They will know that I was not afraid of anything.’
He said boxing was the first sport he came to love because his father, Italian actor Antonio Sr., used to take him to gyms in Rome when he was training.
“He brought me in and threw me in the ring when I was about eight years old, so I’ve been boxing all my life,” Sabato said with a laugh. “I’d love to try it and show the world what I’ve got.”
“I think boxing has a finesse that’s been lost. People want excitement and entertainment, and I think I could bring some of that back to the sport.”