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Antonio Sabato Jr.
Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits and Hustle. Crush it.
Jennifer
Before we dive into today's episode, I first want to thank our sponsor, therasoge. Their tri light panel has become my favorite biohacking thing for healing my body. It's a portable red light panel that I simply cannot live without. I literally bring it with me everywhere I go. And I personally use their red light therapy to help reduce inflammations in places in. In my body where honestly, I have pain. You can use it on a sore back, stomach, cramps, shoulder, ankle, Red light therapy is my go to. Plus it also has amazing anti aging benefits, including reducing signs of fine lines and wrinkles on your face, which I also use it for. I personally use Therassage Trilite everywhere and all the time. It's small, it's affordable, it's portable and it's really effective. Head over to therassage.com right now and use code be bold for 15% off. This code will work site wide. Again. Head over to Therasodh E R A s a g e.com and use code be bold for 15% off any of their products. A woman, a lady, a girl in your 40s, 50s, maybe mid-30s, I'm not sure. Or late 30s. You're going to love this guest. Okay, we have Antonio Sabato Jr. On the show today who is my childhood crush of all crushes. Well, you and Jordan Knight. I. I did say that. Jordan Knight from New Kids who maybe will come on next week. Who knows? Who knows?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Why not? Why not?
Jennifer
Why not? Right?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Why not? Why not?
Jennifer
Just quick backstory. I got a DM from your. From Antonio's publicist. And who's like, hey, he. And he's like, hey, any interest in having Antonio on your podcast? And I was like, I had to do a double take. And I was like, oh my God. He was like my huge crush. Like, absolutely, thanks. And the guy wrote me back and he's like, you, like, literally everybody that he mentioned your name to in the female category was like, oh my God, that was my big crush. Like, it wasn't just me.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Thank you.
Jennifer
Is that hilarious?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It's. It's awesome. Very humbling experience, you know, to be back in, in the limelight, to be back in Hollywood. To be back and doing what I love. It's. It's really humbling. It's really, It's. I'm very blessed.
Jennifer
And by the way, lady, she seems really nice, but I don't know yet. We'll find out. But okay. On this show, what we always do before we start the actual interview is we do a healthy shot.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Sure.
Jennifer
This is.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
This what this is?
Jennifer
Yes. So we're all about optimization, your health, wellness, blah, blah, blah. So these are by magic mind. We shake them. They're all adaptogens. The one you have. Oh, I don't know.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I have the magic mind. I have. Yeah, I have. Yeah. Sharper mind and more focus. Do we cheer?
Jennifer
Yeah, of course.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Of course.
Jennifer
Of course we do.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Come on, salute.
Jennifer
They'll keep you, like super focused now.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Actually, it's very good. It's very good.
Jennifer
People always are always shockingly surprised how good it is.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You got some, some of these. Really, to be honest, they're gross, right?
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But this one is actually good and it tastes really nice.
Jennifer
No, this is really, really good.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That's a sweetness to it. It's not so sour.
Jennifer
Exactly. And so. And all. And also, like I said, the ingredients are like, really, really, really good and like, good for you. And so we do it. All right, so now you're going to be super focused.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Stronger than ever.
Jennifer
Right. Good. I'm glad. I'm glad I can. I can be of service here.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Thank you very much.
Jennifer
All right, so let's get going here. I've got so many questions about, like, you, because I have to just. Why not? I have so many questions.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Sure.
Jennifer
I remember being really young, and you're still young.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Let's. Let's not forget that you're still young. Okay, thank you. You're right. Young and old. You know, it depends how you see life. You know what I mean? So it's how you judge yourself.
Jennifer
That's true. You know, it's funny, I feel like, you know, they always say like, 40 is the new 20, 50s, the new 30. You know, like when I walked in and I saw you, you actually have not physically aged. You look. You look exactly the same.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I feel better than ever, I think mentally and physically and spiritually than never, never, ever in my life. And I'm 53 years old, and I'm just proud of the fact that I'm still, still there doing it and doing it very, very hard. And I'm consistent. Consistency and, and a lifestyle is very important for me. And that's why I'm still doing it, is because I never stopped.
Jennifer
Oh, that's. That's a whole. That is. That. That is the. The key to longevity and, and aging gracefully is just the momentum. Never stopping. Once you stop, that's when like all.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Hell, but stop everything. Not just. Not just Working out and training and everything. But just stop being young and having that mentality of just going after things and being aggressive and the things that you want and not giving up on your dreams. You know, things change in life and get harder or whatever, but they don't have to be. They, they can get, they can get smoother and you can just keep going. You know, in your 20s, I always say, like, people are very eager and they got all that testosterone, all that. And then after 30, it's like this starts slowing down. I'm like, no, it doesn't have to slow down. You can keep pushing and pushing and pushing. Life is really precious. Don't give up. And I want to be. And I see like my life changing a lot of people's lives without, without me even trying because I see people like, now I'm boxing all the time. People got their trainers and showing their pictures and videos of them boxing. They never boxed before. You know, like family members are boxing right now. Like, you know, so if you can showcase that you can do it. They can get off their, you know, the couch and start doing it for themselves and you can start changing people's lives. And I think that works in families too. If you see family members, kids, mothers, fathers, what a grandfather would change in their lives, all of a sudden they're like, you know what, let me try that too. You know, and you can, you can change communities, you can change the world. I believe it.
Jennifer
Yeah. I mean, listen, also, like, that's very inspirational, right? Like, anyone could do it at any age, for sure.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
But you know, your genetics are genetics. You were like, like, you like, yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But genetics are genetics. But also you need to find out what the best genetics for you are or by pushing yourself, you know.
Jennifer
Right. Well, nobody knows their limit. I think it's important for people to push their limit to know for themselves. Because also that's how you build self esteem and confidence, right?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Absolutely.
Jennifer
If you don't do those things, how would you ever know what you.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And you're going to keep evolving and you're going to keep looking a little bit different and unique as you get older. But I think you should take that opportunity to every day to learn about yourself and really experience, you know, how far can I go? Do I still want those dreams? Let's go after those things, you know, let's climb those mountains. Let's meet new people. Let's. Let's go after things that maybe other people don't want me to do. Because society and people always, their insecurity affects yours. And it comes in your life and go, oh, you can't do it, you can't do it. Well, who are you to tell me I can't do it, I can't do it and I will do it and it's going to happen no matter what.
Jennifer
We talk about that a lot on the show or I talk about that a lot. That you know, when, when you ask for, when you, when you tell somebody what you want to do or you ask for opinions.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
All you're going to get are, is their fear or their experience. Right. And so why would you then make your decision based on someone else's bad experience or their personal opinion?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And they will affect you.
Jennifer
Of course, you know, it's a, it's the difference between doing something and not doing something.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That's where you need to be focused and know exactly what you're doing and why you're doing it. And it should be a selfish thing for yourself because it's like being on that, on the plane. And they always say, put the mask on and then help everybody else. You got to help yourself. You got to get to a place when you're comfortable and go, I'm doing this no matter what. You can have your opinion and opinions vary. And the world is always going to say, and most of the times, the way I see it is 90% of the world doesn't want you to succeed. So just know that.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
So if you're lucky and unfortunate, 10% of your family members and even family members are against you when you're succeeding. So it doesn't mean like the bloodline, you know, it's really what you have inside. And the people that I've hung out with, like the Michael Jordan, you know, the Chuck Norris, you know, all these people that Michael Schumacher, seven time world champion, all these people have shown me that they have done it their way and nobody's going to change their way no matter what happens. If it rains or shine is the same thing. And so I've always done it and my father and my mother have always been there as role models where, you know what, coming from another country, from Italy, coming here, succeeding, failing, you know, now I'm back in, you know, in my career doing something that I love. When everybody tossed me on the side, I'm like, you know what? We're going to keep fighting. I'm going to keep my head straight and I'm going to keep going after it no matter what.
Jennifer
Okay, well, listen, that's good. So you just like get. It was a Good segue. Because I want to know what did happen to you. Because, I mean. Yes. Like, when you, like, all I really know. I'm going to be totally honest. I was very honest. The reason why I had you on the show. You're not the typical person I would put. Put on, but because you were my huge crush, I'm like, how can I not say yes? Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Thank you.
Jennifer
And so. But you were massive back then. I mean, you were like the Cal. Well, from what I remember, I was, of course, 12 years old, but the Calvin Klein model and Melrose plays were the two things that I kind of, like, remember the most about you.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
And you were. But you were like, everywhere. Like, you were the guy. Like, I don't know what would be the equivalent now to this me again.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because I'm you again.
Jennifer
You're coming back. Come back story.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. Come backstory. Yeah.
Jennifer
But I want to put this in. I want this to be put in perspective for young people who are, like, watching this. You were kind of like the Justin Bieber of. Of like, the 90s.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Would that be close? I broke a lot of rules. You know, when I was on General Hospital, they told me, you can't. And back in the day, it was different. We didn't have.
Jennifer
It was a different social media.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No social media. No Twitter or Instagram. None of that. And no cell phones, you know, to the point that we're using them now. So back then, it was like, when you did a soap opera, you were stuck doing that, right? And people and agents and my managers said, you know, you got to do this, and you can't go to nighttime and do a TV show, and you can't be a film actor. And I was like, no, I will. Because, you know, I was the first one to be in Arsenio hall when I was on General Hospital. I was the first one to be on TV Guide at the time. We have TV Guide.
Jennifer
I remember. You know, so start with how it happened. Like, what was like, give us the evolution of who you are, because I know you as, like, when you were, like, a super hot model slash actor that all the girls liked. Okay, tell me what. Like, what happened? How did you get picked for Calvin Klein?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Sure.
Jennifer
How did you. Like, what was the. Like, what was the kind of pivotal moment in your career that you became the Antonio?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They think I became a model, which is not true. What really happened? I came to this country when I was 12 years old with my family. My sister, my mother and my dad.
Jennifer
Okay.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And we came here with a green Card and dreams. And we came to Los Angeles and I went to acting school right away. I went to Stella Adler. You know, one of my favorite teachers was Nina Fo. She's passed away and a great actress. I went to the actor studio and I really want to pursue the acting. My father was an actor for many years in Europe, in America. But when he came here he had a hard time. The so called friends in the business never helped my dad. My dad had a very Italian heavy accent. And back then you couldn't be a leading actor if you had an heavy accent. So he was tossed on the side and he dedicated his life and my mother for me and my sister to go to school here and learn the language because, you know, we didn't speak English. So I pursued the acting so much that in that process I wanted to get out of high school. I went to different high schools. I got kicked out of some high schools. I got in trouble, whatnot.
Jennifer
Bad kid.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I wasn't a bad kid. But you know, I didn't take no for an answer. I didn't like kids picking on me. And I. And I always hung out with, not the popular kids, I hung out with the tough kids. That's just the type of person I've always been. And I always wanted to protect them as much as they wanted to protect me. I went to, they. My parents tried to put me in private schools. I went to Palisades, I went to Saint Bernards, I even went to Beverly Hills High. None of the schools worked. And then we went back to Italy because we ran out of money. And I had to go back to Italy for one year when I was a teenager, when I was about 15, 16 years old, and then came back here the second time. And so I went to all these different high schools, even went to school in Italy. So I was like, what am I going to do? So I was like, I'm going to leave school. And I left school. I packed my bags, I lied to my parents and I told them that I took a GD test, which I didn't. I took, I took half of it. I didn't pass it, but they believe me. So I took off and I went to New York to pursue my acting career. And I started working, I started doing Italian movies, I started working in the industry, doing small things here and there. And then all of a sudden I got General Hospital.
Jennifer
That was the first thing that was.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, I got Janet Jackson video Love Will Never do without you.
Jennifer
That's right. Oh my God, I love. I watched that video a million times.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That's me.
Jennifer
That was the first thing you did.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That was the first thing that people saw me, but they didn't have a clue who I was. They didn't have a name attached to it. But there was like, that's the guy from Janet Jackson.
Jennifer
Because that video for sure was the beginning. That was, that, that was the pivotal. Because you were so gorgeous. Not the theater thing. I remember being like, oh my God, who is that guy in the Janet Jackson video? All of us were that. Right, that was you. That was the pivotal moment. Okay, go on.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
How old were you, by the way?
Jennifer
Wait, wait, wait. How old are you at that video?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I was 17. I was 17. How old was Janet Jackson back then? It was at least 10 years old than me. Or at least she was in the mid-20s, late 20s.
Jennifer
Yeah, they picked a 17 year old kid to be the guy.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, well, they did. And that was about 17 years old. And, and I just, I had my, you know, I had my driver. As a matter of fact, when I got that job, I was working as a messenger. I had my car, my radio in my car, and I used to deliver scripts all over town. And that's how I got my commercial agent. Because I walked in and, and I started talking to people and then I got the commercial agent that sent me to Data Edition, then got me the job for Janet Jackson. And then I left school, like I said. I went to New York and pursue my acting career and I went for General Hospital the first time. I didn't get it.
Jennifer
Wait, go back to the Janet Jackson video. This is very interesting. So you were only 17 years old.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
When you got that Ritz Peter Savick, which I still know, he did my hair, did the Janet Jackson wig and all that stuff. A great hairstylist, the best in the world. And then I met Janet and then I started working with her Brits on the video and.
Jennifer
But did that, did that video, once that video came out, did your phone like just go crazy?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, it didn't. It didn't because like I said, they didn't have a name attached to that guy. It was like the guy from Janet Jacksonville. Until I was. I was higher on General Hospital. And then I was there for two years working every single day on, on gh. And you know, we, we. I made the show and I took the show to higher places. I think we were. I got it to number two in two years and it was really good for me. And I broke around a lot of rules. You know, I was, I was a really eager actor. I wanted to really pursue this acting thing. And, you know, I got a, an acting coach to come with me every day on General Hospital. I started boxing with my trainer Chris Steele at the time. Every single day before I got to GH at three in the morning. I was really dedicated to making this my life. And I had a steady job, which is amazing. You know, I was able to buy myself a better car. I got myself a house. You know, I was like living the dream.
Jennifer
In New York?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, here.
Jennifer
So General Hospital is not. I thought that was. It was.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, it was right here in Hollywood in Prospect Avenue.
Jennifer
Okay, so I want to make sure, I want to chronologically follow this. So then you were doing General Hospital when you're what, 18, 19 then?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yep, I was in my early 20s.
Jennifer
Yeah, well, 18. How many years did you do it?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
20S when I got General Hospital. And then two years later at 22, I was a first time dad. My son Jack was born at 22. So yeah, I got a General Hospital when I was 20.
Jennifer
And so you did it for how many years?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Two years.
Jennifer
So why did you leave?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, I wanted to leave because I wanted to pursue my acting career. I wanted to. I want to. I also, I had a chance to work with Steven Spielberg on a TV show called Earth 2. We shot it in New Mexico and I was starring in that show. And I couldn't say it was NBC, it was Steven Spielberg, it was 24 shows already picked for the entire year. And I couldn't say no to it. And I wanted to pursue my acting. I want to do movies, I wanted to travel, I wanted to. I just didn't want to do soaps.
Jennifer
Right, but how did your life case? So did your life start to really change when you were doing General Hospital?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, yeah. So the fan base, tell me what happened.
Jennifer
I want to know about that stuff.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
The fan base was astronomical. The fan base on to this day, to this day. They want me to come back to General Hospital. As a matter of fact, I'm willing to come back. You know, if you guys, you know, will have me, I'll come back and bring the real Jagger Kates back to that show. But anyway, the fans have been with me ever since and they never left me. And then their daughters, their sons have been with me. So I have like families who have followed me ever since.
Jennifer
But you're only on for like two, two years.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But I made an impact. I really wanted to change people's minds about my, my enthusiasm, my work ethic, everything. So.
Jennifer
Okay, so. But when you were doing that show like, what? Because you're right, there's no social media and all the other stuff. What was. What was being like, how did you get the.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I was very. I was very ahead of its game. I wanted to be on covers that weren't just related to soaps. I wanted to cross over and, you know, I was on Arsenio hall at the time, which. He never had a soap opera actor on it.
Jennifer
Why did he have you?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because he knew I was different.
Jennifer
He knew women were crazy for you. Do you not remember this? I do.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I used to do a lot of appearances all over the country, and they were. They were just thousands and thousands of people. Great fans that backed me up. I used to do car shows, of course, from Detroit to Chicago and everywhere across the nation. And the fan. I had to hire somebody to take care of my fan, you know, because we used to get, like, real fan letters.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
So there were bags and bags on a weekly basis.
Jennifer
And were you the most popular one on General Hospital?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. I mean, I worked with an executive producer, Wendy Rich. Amazing person who really believed in me. And. And I tell people, young, young actors, too, you gotta. You gotta get together with people who really, truly believe and see you for who you are. And she really saw my enthusiasm, my work ethic, and took it to the next level and really helped me a lot. And she knew I could back her up, too. And the show, and I really was part of that show. I really wanted to make the show the biggest show ever. And I never treated it like a soap opera. For me, it was just, to me, working as a thespian, as an actor, it didn't really matter if I was on soaps or TV or movies. It was always the same thing. And I always hated the fact that. That people told me, like, well, you know, soaps, you do this kind of acting or you do this for tv, I'm like, no, no, no. I take it serious no matter what. I. You know, when. This is hard here, this is hard here, and it's all under the same bubble. And so I never treated differently. I think they saw that, and I think Arsenio saw that. That's why he had me on the show.
Jennifer
Okay, so then you went from doing two years of General Hospital, then you did the Steven Spielberg show.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yep.
Jennifer
And that show never took off, obviously, did it?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, it should have. And I never had the chance. Like I said, it was ahead of its time. And after that show, I went to Melbourne's place and I worked with Aaron Spelling and Heather Locklear.
Jennifer
And you were on for how many years?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I was just there for seven episodes.
Jennifer
That's it?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That's it. Yeah. I always wanted to hit and go, but those shows that I did, they're so memorable, like everything I've done. Because I wanted to make movies, and I kept making movies. And one of those films was a film that Calvin Klein saw. And then years later, I did three campaigns for Calvin Klein because he saw a film I did called if Looks Could Kill for Fox.
Jennifer
I actually remember that.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, it's a great film. I love that film. One of my favorites.
Jennifer
Do you remember? Okay, so then why did they only sign you for seven episodes for Melrose?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I wanted to do that. I didn't want to be stuck on anything. I never wanted to be stuck on anything for too long.
Jennifer
No, but then why did they not. Why did you never.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Aaron Spelling and I had a meeting about the character, and I told him, you know, I want to. I want to stay for a little bit for an arc, but I don't want to be here longer than that because I have other plans. And he totally understood that. And so he wrote this little arc, which, you know, turned out to be bigger than I thought with Heather Locklear, because I wanted to work with her. She was the biggest star of the show, and so I was the ex husband who comes back in her life. And it was really awesome because I got to work with everybody. Jack Wagner, another good friend of mine that I've known for many years.
Jennifer
He's from General Hospital.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yep. Yeah.
Jennifer
Was he on that show? I don't remember.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He was, yeah.
Jennifer
So then did you ever, like, date.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And Bold and the Beautiful? We worked together.
Jennifer
Oh, the Bold and the Beautiful.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Oh, you were on that show, too?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, just for a little bit as well.
Jennifer
Did you date anybody from.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I never dated anybody I work with.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Never? Never. No. I never wanted to cross over and. And bring business and pleasure and none of that. I always. I'm the most professional guy. Seriously. I take. I take pride in what I do, and I don't date who I work with ever.
Jennifer
So you did Melrose Place. Then you went and did. Okay, Then what happened? I want to know everything.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Then I just started making movies non stop.
Jennifer
What was the biggest movie you made?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
From the big hit, you know, with Mark Wahlberg, to, you know, the movie that I have now, you know, Grace by Night is. It's amazing. I mean, I'm very proud of that. But I' so many films over the years. I don't even tell. I don't even know. I'm like, I, I've done, I worked in Australia. I worked in Italy. I've done many miniseries in Italy in Italian. I worked in Australia on a show with George Miller called Tribe. I've done over a hundred. I lost count over 100 movies.
Jennifer
So then, okay, so, I mean, this is the nicest possible way, but what happened to you because you were so big and then I never heard from you again?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, I started. You know what happened? One of my crazy ideas, because I love Los Angeles and I love the state of California. And years ago, I was the first one to support President Trump. I was the first one to support him on, on tv. I was the first one to come out and say, the president who's running to be president is my guy. I believe what he's saying. And I've always been that whatever comes out of my mind, whatever, I'm truthful to it, I'm going to be honest 100%. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to take it back. I'm not going to play this game. And so when I did that, and I came from a really good place, I was blacklisted from day one. I also ran for Congress in my community because I don't like all the homelessness and all the stuff that they've done to the state. So I said, instead of talking about it like most celebrities talk about all the things that they hate about the government and politics, I wanted to run and understand about what really goes on in the political world. And I did. I went to Washington, D.C. i did my. I won my primary, and I'm glad I never won the seat because I don't want to be in politics at all right now. I don't want nothing to do with the Republicans. I don't want nothing to do with the Democrats. I don't want nothing to do with it. But because I learned from it. And I also learned so much about the government, how really this place works and the state of California. So when I did that, I went to the rnc, which is the biggest, you know, place to talk in front of the world about. And I wanted to express my opinion about coming to this country and loving this nation, what it's done for me. And I was, I was completely blacklisted. All my managers and agents and commercial agents all dropped me over 24 hours, and I was called the worst names, and I was put into the corner. And so I had to leave Hollywood. I couldn't Work I had to pay for my. For my kids. I had to pay for. To live and all that stuff. So I moved to Florida and I went in construction. I was working in concrete pumping. I was doing concrete pumping, managing in the state of Florida, mostly in Tampa, and working in construction. And people know about construction after 35 years in the entertainment world, you're treated, you know, the opposite. You know, you're not treated kindly. And so I put the tail between my legs, my pride, and I had to do what I had to do to take care of my family. And that's why things changed. And now, you know, I've been blessed by God and I have a second chance. And I'm coming back stronger than ever, and I'm back to retain my title and do what I got to do. But I am glad I went through the hell and back, because, you know, I love my wife twice as much. I love my kids twice as much. I'm more committed twice as much than I ever was. And when you. When you have to sell everything you ever had, when you have to know who your real friends are, when you have to go through these hard times, you have two choices. You either stick in it or you get out of it. And now I'm out of it. And. And I'm stronger than ever because of it. And that's why things change in my life. But I never changed my opinion. I never backed down. Like most celebrities and most actors, they have to apologize. They have to, oh, I didn't mean it. I meant everything I said. And I'm going to. I'm not going to change who I am. And I sleep good at night. I lost material things. Sure. I lost money and jobs and opportunities. Yes. My. My integrity, who I am as a person never changed. And I. I'm trying to show that to my. To my children, to my family and to anybody out there, that if you go after your dreams, stick to it and never change your opinions, because that's who you are.
Jennifer
So you're telling me that 2016. Right. That was when the first time it happened. Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Almost 10 years ago.
Jennifer
Ten years ago, you were basically blacklisted and gone?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yep.
Jennifer
So where were you? Okay. Where were you between 2008 and 2016? Those.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, I was in California.
Jennifer
What were you doing?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I was making films. I was doing TV shows.
Jennifer
Still making a living?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, yeah, I was. I was doing very well. You know, I produced reality shows. I won reality shows.
Jennifer
Tell me.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I won several. I won Cupcake Wars.
Jennifer
You were in Cupcake Wars?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. I Did stars in Danger for Fox about learning how to diving from the platform. I, I won that one.
Jennifer
You won that one?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Celebrity Circus. I won that one for NBC. I also did Dancing with the Stars. I did seven weeks of that. But I, I have, I have my reality things that I won.
Jennifer
Sorry, your reality kind of. Again, don't, don't hate me for saying these things. I'm just, just isn't reality kind of. The shows that you were doing is where people go to die. Right? Like, those are not where people, you know, who are like these world renowned, you know, Juilliard actors.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, I had opportunities at the beginning. I started things when I did my Antonio for VH1. I was executive producing a show.
Jennifer
What is that?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That was the Bachelor on steroids.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
In Hawaii? Yeah. I was pretty much had the whole island of Hawaii to myself and, and girls wanted to date me and, and I brought my mother with. It was amazing show I had.
Jennifer
What year was this?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That was in, in that time, in the, in the 2008, 2010 area. Yeah.
Jennifer
So you had a show where they basically had women climb a mountain to date me.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They had to jump out of helicopters to date me. I mean, literally out of an helicopter, open the doors and jump into the ocean to date me. So I, I, I could, how could I say no? This is what I want.
Jennifer
So what happened?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Why it was, Listen, reality shows are scripted reality shows. So nothing happened, of course, you know, but did it do well?
Jennifer
That's a funny show.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, there was a winner, but nothing happened between me and her. And it was just.
Jennifer
Did you go in and the dinner date, like, what did you do? Like go to dinner?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I told you. Did they have to jump out of helicopter?
Jennifer
Yeah. What happened? What was the date? What did she get out of the.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And we got to know each other and then they had to deal with my mother, which is incredible and funny, and it was one of the best shows ever. So I started, I started things and I did things before anybody else did. And remember, we didn't have the social media. We didn't have all this stuff going on as much as we do now.
Jennifer
That's a good idea though. Hold on a second. So that show was like 15 years ago, let's say 18 years ago, but even before that show, I guess this is my question. Did you get pigeonholed as being the hot underwear model? Where were people even taking you seriously to even offer you real roles?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Maybe it's at times with casting directors, you know, sometimes they would like, you know, they wouldn't give me a chance or whatever, because whatever, you know, the way I look, whatever that means. But for me it was like, I'm going to do it my way. And that's the way I've been like, you know, if, if you didn't hire me for this, I'll find another movie to be hired.
Jennifer
Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And I produced this other film or producers of the film. So I always consistently working and doing movies that I wanted.
Jennifer
You were still working basically.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Always. Always.
Jennifer
So you always made like. So before this whole blacklist happened and.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And got canceled three or four movies a year.
Jennifer
Right. And so you would do like the case. So tell me other reality ones. I'm going to go back and look. So you did the cupcake wars. That was. That's a good one.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That's a good one.
Jennifer
That's a good one.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, the stars and whatever stars in danger. Which I was like, that's another show that I got and how I got it. There were two other celebrities. I'm not going to embarrass you guys.
Jennifer
No, tell me, I want to know.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, is one of them the baseball player? Right. And so basically they would have a training session when you have to go to UCLA and dive from 15 to 20ft out of the platform and learn how to do like a one and a half dive into the water. And if you know about diving, that's the most dangerous, most bruise, like body gets destroyed. Right. And so they walked away. They. Some of these guys walked away and they had, they were missing two guys. So one of the two guys was me. So they called me like, you have a week and a half to learn two dives and one from a 15 footer and the other one you have to dive on a synchronized dive with Tyler Owen. And so I did it with him and I won the single dive. So I'm very competitive. I don't lose. I raced professionally in those years. I raced at Indianapolis. I wanted to be a race car driver and I was racing go karts since I was a little boy. But I just, I did things, my mother always tells me, like, you do things at different times. And you know, I started gymnastics in my 30s because I wanted to do like backflips and springs and all that stuff. I did that for 10 years. I did things my way and it's not necessarily the time or like I'm boxing now professionally, but it's unbelievable. I know Philadelphia in, in two months and I'm 53, so for me it's, to me it's like whenever I want to do things and my kids in my family know how crazy I am. You know, I've been skydiving, I jump out of planes. I learned how to, you know, how to fly planes later. I mean, like, I do things my way and so.
Jennifer
You really do. Actually, when you.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Could you really think about it? Like when I, when your guy was saying to me, yeah, he's doing this like celebrity boxing tournament. I'm like, hold on a second. And I looked, I'm like, isn't it like 20, 25? He must be over 50 by now.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
And like you're doing things like at like, like the gym. Who does gymnastics in their 30s? That's like impossible.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. And I did it.
Jennifer
Did you learn how to do a backflip?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. Backhand spring and everything? Yeah. And a double flip and everything? Yeah, all of it. And my, and my daughter was actually turning to be an elite gymnast. She, she had to quit because she broke one of her, one of her fingers. So she's. Because gymnastics is one of the hardest sports ever. But yeah, I did things different times in my life and I'm not gonna stop. I have, I had goals. I want to, I want to race a 24 hour Le Mans. I want to race with the prototypes in the next few years and nobody's going to stop me. I want to race with McLaren for the North America series.
Jennifer
I'm working to them right now.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, we're talking to them right now. And I'm going to keep pushing. I'm going to put it out there. God bless you. And I want to keep pushing for all these things. So it's going to happen. I want to keep fighting too. I don't want to fight instance. I want to fight better boxer, professional boxers who are retired, who are willing to step into the ring, I mean, and make movies and do everything. Like, I am so eager. This is the beginning of phase two.
Jennifer
See, this is amazing because this actually when I first got here with you, and you're like, yeah, age is just a number. I'm like, yeah, yeah. Everyone just says that, but literally, yeah, it's not like it doesn't even like cross your mind that, oh, I'm 50 something, so therefore I can do that. But I can tell even the way you're saying it that it's actually like there's no. Really believe it.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, because like, I'll tell you a story. I went to, I went to Vegas and Vegas has, I think at the Mirage. Was it the Mirage? It has one of the biggest water tanks. Yeah, where they have, like, live fish. They have about 40 tiger sharks. Last time I was there, I called the hotel, the marketing department. I said, is anybody, like celebrities wanted to swim with the sharks in the tank? Said, nobody's ever done it. So I want to come in. So I signed my, my release. I wear my, my, my steel mesh suit. And I went and swam with 40 tiger sharks for about almost two hours at the tank and everything. That's the type of guy I am. So I don't have any limits on if I want to do something, I'm going to do it. I, you know, I, I go to the sphere or whatever, one of those tall, and I jump, you know, with the, with the, with the harness. You know what I mean? I, I went to New Zealand, one of the tallest buildings there. On my day off, I was doing a movie. And during that day off, I was bored. I'm like, I climb, you know, you go up there and they hook you up on this harness, and basically you stand at the edge and they lower you down pretty fast, about 700, whatever feet. And I was like, I don't want to be lowered. I want to jump off of it. Can I jump off of it? So you can jump off it and then we'll just lower you down at the end. So I jumped off of it. I mean, that's, that's the type of guy I am. I have nothing to prove to the world, but to myself.
Jennifer
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, and so, and like I said, skydiving is another thing. I, you know, I like to skydive from 18,500, 20,000ft. And I go up there and I. And I dive.
Jennifer
Okay, get back to the tiger sharks for a second. At Mirage, are they allowed? Like, if I were to call Mirage myself and be like, hey, they allow me.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I had.
Jennifer
Why did they allow you?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because aren't they lie.
Jennifer
Even if something happens to you? That'd be a horrible PR scandal.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It would be horrible. It would be the worst thing ever. But I told. They couldn't say no. I had just. I, I have to come and do it.
Jennifer
But, like, wouldn't they.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They asked me, why, what's going on? I'm like, I want to do it. I want to swim.
Jennifer
Did they video it?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I've been swimming with sharks my whole life. I go to Great Barrier Reef and I swim with them, and I swim with hammer sharks and I name any name. And I told them, you know, I'm a diver. I've been diving for decades. Since I was a teenager and, and they couldn't say no.
Jennifer
Did they film it?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They did film it. They have it. We have pictures and videos. And like I said, I had to really, I had to sign a release. I had to wear the mesh, the whole steel body mesh and went, went down there.
Jennifer
But like, I'm just thinking if I was someone working at Mirage, nobody's ever.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Done, not even Tom Cruise. You've done that.
Jennifer
I was just gonna say, you know this, you remind me of Tom Cruise because like, he's the only other person I know who's like, he's in his 60s now.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
But I mean, this guy I met.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Tom, and I give him so much credit.
Jennifer
He's fearless. Yeah, fearless. Did you hear what he did when it, about that, that building out of, you know, when he was in Dubai?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, yeah.
Jennifer
And it was taking too long, like they were giving, like he didn't want to waste, feel like he didn't want to waste like actual time where he could be like filming.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
So he, he taught himself how he can stay outside hanging on the, on that, what's that building?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, yeah. The tallest building in the world.
Jennifer
In the world. The tallest building in the world. But what is it called? Because it's gonna.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yes, I, I, I, I know what you're talking about.
Jennifer
Yeah, what's called. Yeah, Burj Khalifa. Yeah, he, he like taught himself. They're like, they're like, I'm sorry, you can't do this. It's like, it's like guys like us, it doesn't, it doesn't occur to him to not do it.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, it's fun for us. It's fun. It's, it's what life is about.
Jennifer
And, and also F1, like we said over before we started.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
You know, it was a, like Brad Pitt doing F1. He was a 50 year old guy doing it. And the only reason why that was real, it wasn't realistic. It just, it was a movie. So that's why they allowed. And they're like, yeah, well, there's no F1 driver on the planet who's 50 years old. There's not one. So him doing it, it's. Of course it's Brad Pitt in a movie.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It would be me, I would do it.
Jennifer
And you're saying you can, you're going to do the same thing?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I'm going to be professionally racing. I'm probably going to be in the GT or the prototypes, but if they gave me a chance to, to, to jump in a Formula one car, I would. I would do it. I raced Formula 3000, Formula 2000, open wheels with Skip Barber. So that. That's my world. I've been associated with Formula one. My father was in the greatest Formula one movie of all time, Grand Prix, which Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton. Everybody in that movie saw to take a lot of information for this film, but the F1 movie is not realistic at all.
Jennifer
No, that's what I'm saying.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But it's not just him in the car. It's just how the movie was done. Formula one is done on qualifying. Qualifying and setup. So they cover some stuff, but they never cover the qualifying.
Jennifer
Tell me, what is that? Tell us.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Qualifying is everything. If 1. Whatever you qualify on qualifying day will get you in the lead. And most of the times, most of the tracks, there's not going to be a lot of passing, depending on whether or rain or tire setup. But it's all. It's all going to be one on qualifying, which there was never addressed in the entire film at all. But. And all the other things, the fun stuff at the end of the film where he crashed and the slow. That's fun to watch, but it's not realistic and it would never happen. We know that. As professional race car driver, I know everything about Formula One. I was a spokesperson in the Indy F1 back in the day, the first F1 Grand Prix in many years in Indianapolis. I raced at Indianapolis. I've been associated and been friends with race car drivers my whole life, and my father before me, from Jackie Stewart to Phil Hill and everybody in between Schumacher, body catlow and all these guys. But, you know, it's a fun film. It was shot really well, but you know what I mean, if they were doing an F1 movie, it would be a whole different story, a real F1 movie. But, you know, I'm glad that Brad Pitt is able to bring that world into. Into. Into America. But back then, you know, like in the. In the 80s or 90s, Formula One was not popular at all.
Jennifer
No, I agree. It wasn't. It became very popular and probably in the last few years. Five years.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, because Netflix.
Jennifer
The Netflix. Right, because of the show.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. But also, Formula one as a sport has changed dramatically. You know, the. The whole game has. Has changed. You know, it's. It's a whole different ball game.
Jennifer
Tell me, tell us.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know. Well, we kids are racing now, basically. You know, you have Max Verst, which is my favorite race car. I love him.
Jennifer
He's amazing.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He's. He's the best. And it's all about simulation. I've simulated in professional simulation my whole life. I mean from video games obviously, but also professional simulators. Professional simulators that F1 drivers use. I've raced in every single racetrack around the world a thousand times. I've done 24 hour Le Mans in a simulator a thousand times. I know every single racetrack around the world. If you show me a corner of a racetrack, I'll tell you what racetrack that is. From Monza to Monaco to Spa to Silverstone, American racetracks from Miami, easy. From, you know, I raced also professionally at Indianapolis, like I said, California Speedway, Laguna Seca, Albert park in Australia, Cataluya in Spain. You know, Singapore is one of my favorite tracks that I, that I simulated at. I can Suzuka, you name it. China, Russia, Argentina, original track. Like I know everything about Formula one and all the tracks around the world. So for me, Formula one and racing is in my blood. I can tell you in and out. We can talk for days and days and days about what takes place on a weekend in the Formula one weekend and what it really takes place with these kids. Now you have kids who are 18, 19, 20 years old, who are video gamers, who are very thin, they're very skinny, some of them, they don't even bike that much. You know, back in my day to be a race car driver, you would have to physically fit to a whole new level. Now they do a lot of neck exercises and all stuff, but they're skinny guys. Most of the times when you get the G forces, you understand the car, this, you can push it. Basically the training is mostly lower back, you know, neck, things like that. But you know, some, some, some exercises with weights. But you know, the Schumacher days, the Senna days, Those days, the 80s and 90s, we're talking about guys doing a lot of training and they were fit to a whole new level physically.
Jennifer
I thought they still did that because.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Not to that they do now. I mean now they're playing racquetball. They're going to, they play, you know, they're on weekends. They're, they're, they're, they're doing some biking and things like that. They're doing some next stuff offseason.
Jennifer
What were they doing like with Schumacher?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Dave Schumacher was a whole different ball game. You know, Michael Schumacher, who I hung out with, I play soccer with him. He was, he was my favorite driver of all time. His fitness level was a different ball game. I mean, we're talking about doing a lot of weights, a lot of boxing, which race car drivers don't do as much. I mean, look at their bodies. You can see it with the way they look.
Jennifer
They're tiny, but I thought skinny, very skinny. But I thought that was on purpose because they didn't want to have weight in the car.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, they have to be lower weight, but they're not. They're not cut. They're not fit. They're not like.
Jennifer
Yeah, they're not.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, they're not, you know. You know, Alonso is probably one of the. One of the guys that still does a lot of biking, does a lot of cardio, but I have never seen, like, Max do. Be on a bike.
Jennifer
Or how about. Remember that guy Ricardo? Ricardo, yeah. He doesn't look that small to me.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They're very skinny, and they have. They have to keep that weight very low. But they're not muscular. They don't have.
Jennifer
They're not tight and toned. You're right. They're not doing the same caliber. So what did, like, Schumacher do back then that they're not doing right now?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Weights. A lot of weight, a lot of weight training, and they were. Michael was also played a lot of soccer. And also, like I said, he did a lot of weights that no other driver is even doing right now. Just. Just the force and G forces. We did a lot of neck stuff with a lot of heavy weights, and nobody does as much anymore.
Jennifer
They still see them doing that. They put that weight plate and.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, he took it to another level. Like, his fitness level was seven days a week. It was. He was. His. His body was. You could see it, the way he looked.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, he was a different, Different. Different guy altogether. And he changed that. He changed the game. But now, like I said, they're just. They look like kids, you know, they are playing their video games. You know what I mean? And they're doing. You know, the reason why Max is so good is to another level is because of simulation. Like, his simulator game is to a whole new level. Like, he goes after the race and he finishes first or whatever he finishes. Or he. Or like the last race of Silverstone, and he goes and he does a race worldwide in a simulation with all these other race car drivers around the world, and he wins that. Or he does, like, he's back into the seat and doing simulation over and over again. Like, his eyesight is. It's just a whole different level.
Jennifer
Are the other guys not doing that?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, they were after. After the last race. They were at the premiere of the F1 movie, and the only one that wasn't there was Max. You know why? Because he was racing back in Europe in a simulation worldwide, whatever he was doing, and back in the car, back in the simulator, and just doing what he loves to do, like he loves racing. So that's what I do. I'm in a simulator every single day. Like I am racing. Whether I'm on the games or the simulation things that I have, I'm doing it every day.
Jennifer
And what is it? You're sitting in a.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You're sitting in a seat like this, and I'm racing.
Jennifer
It's like a video game.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It's a video game.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And that's what Formula one is. It's a video game. It's literally a video game right now. All the panels, everything you have, talking to the pits and everything. You have, you know, you have 20 different engineers telling you different stuff and all this other stuff and setups and this and that. It's a video game.
Jennifer
What about nascar? How is it different than nascar?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, NASCAR is different. Obviously, you're doing a lot of ovals.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And there's street courses. You know, I would love to do the Chicago street course. So that's amazing. But that's, that's a whole different skill because you don't have technology adding to it.
Jennifer
Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You, that's, that's, you know, and that's also about throttle response because you're keeping the car going smooth for so many laps. And obviously there's a lot of things, you know, with tires and setups and all that, but all the cars are pretty much the same. They're pretty much, you know, they're pretty much the same. So you really have to take it to another level as a driver. Formula one racing. It's. It's all about aerodynamics, setups, car, you know, and it's a lot of details. It's like NASA versus, you know, you know, flying for the Navy. You know, they're both very high tech, but, you know, you're flying to space in F1, you know, and NASCAR is. You have 40 some drivers who, today you're going to have this guy winning, and tomorrow you're going to have somebody else. You know, it's rarely you're going to see a guy winning six races in a row in nascar. It's never going to happen.
Jennifer
But why is that?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because you have a lot of things that you have to take into place. You have to do 200 laps. A lot of things could happen. So many laps you're doing ovals, you have a lot of guys hitting you behind you.
Jennifer
Why not with F1. Why is that?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because in F1, you got to win on qualifying, like I said. Yeah, I know the top three, you know, qualifying. You have three different qualifying sessions.
Jennifer
Okay.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
All right. So the first session. The first, you know, and the last five go. And, you know, and they keep going to the. Basically, the top five are the ones that count.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
So in qualifying is. Is your best lap, lap time, but also you got to finish the race. That's a different setup. You know what I mean? So it's all about the car, the aerodynamics and what you can do with it and how really the full potential of that car and driver are put together. And that's why Max is able to qualify. Great. And, you know, this year the Red Bull is having a lot of issues because the car has a lot of issues. The McLaren is a full package. It's a full package with aerodynamics, it's full package. By having two great drivers racing for each other, McLaren has a different philosophy where Red Bull has one great driver and then they've been switching all these other drivers so they don't have the full team. McLaren is a full team this year.
Jennifer
What happened to Mercedes? Because Mercedes was like the leader for so many years, and then they had a problem with.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, Mercedes is very interesting because who brought Mercedes back was Schumacher. Schumacher. When he came back as a comeback after he won five championships with Ferrari, he came back with Mercedes and he had to develop the car and the team to make it the silver arrow that it is now. So Lewis Hamilton came in a really good spot because when he went to Mercedes for McLaren, he went. He went to a place and the. Schumacher took it to another level. I said, it's, it's, it's a, it's a. It's a complex game because the driver, see, you could be a great driver, and they're all great drivers. But also that information as a driver has to be established and communicated to the engineer and the rest of the team. Accurately, perfectly. And that's what Schumacher was good with Jean, Todd and the rest of the team, because he was able to tell him exactly, oh, I need this, I need this. So then they could. They were able to change it. That's what Max is good at. But a lot of these drivers are not good at referring the right, the right information to change that little thing, because you change a little things, you're going to lose the race or you're going to win the race. So. And Schumacher was great at developing the Mercedes team. Whereas, you know, Lewis Hamilton got into that team at the right. At the right time. And there was a full package of a team. But look how long it's taking Lewis Hamilton to win a race. Now he's with Ferrari. Ferrari has 300 or $400 million a year for two cars. They have. They have the testing, they have the simulation. They have the. The wind tunnel. They have everything in house.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They still can win.
Jennifer
Why?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because it's all about 100th of a second difference on the setup and the aerodynamics of that car. And if that car could actually finish the race and be in the top three or, you know, so how much.
Jennifer
Of it is the car versus the driver?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It depends. It really depends. It could be 50. 50. It could be 70, the driver and 30%. It depends how knowledgeable. You know, Red Bull is not there, but they have 70% with Max and they have 30% with the team.
Jennifer
Yeah, Max, I mean, and now they.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Fire at the head of the team, and now they're back to square one. Now they, you know.
Jennifer
But I know what happened to him again? Was he canceled? Was that what happened?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He was fired.
Jennifer
Yeah, he was fired from.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, obviously there's. There's some rumors and things like that, but he started that team.
Jennifer
I know.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And now they're having issues with the team, but they had issues with the other drivers. You know, McLaren, they have two great drivers who are following directions perfectly, who are willing to push the car, and they have a great car. Their aerodynamics and the setup with the car. And also, all this, by the way, is going to be out the door next year. Next year is a whole different regulations. All, you know, you don't have any more of, you know, all the regulations and the rules they have this year are gone. All different rules.
Jennifer
Well, by the way, who's the. Who's doing Mercedes now? Like, who's elite? Not Toto, but who's a driver? I know Toto is the guy.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Russell.
Jennifer
Oh, wow. They have Russell.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. Russell is Mercedes. But, you know, that's not like. The word is that Max is going to Mercedes now and leave. And leaving Red Bull for next year. And if he does that, I think Russell is going to be out for sure because Antonelli, I think, is going to stay in and. And Russell's going to be out. You're not going to have. Especially Russell and Max, they're not going to. They're not going to be good teammates at all.
Jennifer
No.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Period.
Jennifer
Why. Why do you say so?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They never liked each other. They're not. They're not a good fit do you.
Jennifer
Think Lewis is done already or he's finished or is he going to win again eventually?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I think I think Lewis might win. It's not. It's not the age, I think I know, but I think is the car and everything. But he's having issues explaining because his set of driving is completely different than what Ferrari has. You know, Ferrari has, you know, and I know that about that team better than anybody. My father was good friends with Enzo Ferrari. You know, to be in a great team, you gotta have good engineers. And good engineers usually come from England. And English engineers don't want to leave England and live in Italy. They don't want to go live in Maranello and Modena and Bologna. They don't want to go live there. They want to live at home. So you have Lewis Hamilton, who's based in Italy right now, who has the English, you know, the second language with Italian. But also the engineering, the style of driving is completely different than Mercedes. It's like driving, flying a different jet altogether with all these different things. A very complex Ferrari is very complex to drive. It's a very Ferrari as a car. You have to be a driver like no other because it's the beast. It's really a stallion. It's like a horse like no other when you can drive it. Like, Michael Schumacher was able to drive the car at full potential, and that's why he won five in a row. But that was Michael Schumacher. He took it a whole new level.
Jennifer
But Lewis won like five in a row for. For Mercedes.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But it's a different style of Dr. And the car is a different beast. Yeah, everybody wants to win a championship at Ferrari. Alonso tried it, Vettel tried it, and they all failed. Because to be a Ferrari, it's also political too. So it's. It's a different complex of a game. You got to play the game and you got to be really committed to a whole new level. Like to. To race a Ferrari, you got to race a Ferrari 247 for the entire time. There's no distractions at all. You can't go to Monaco and have a few days of fun. You gotta race and you gotta be with the engineers and you gotta butt heads too, because the Italians are very hard to deal with. All right.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because they're egomaniacs. So you have.
Jennifer
You don't say Antonio. Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. So you know, you've got.
Jennifer
Are you an egomaniac?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Absolutely. 100. You got to be in the world. You gotta. You gotta have your. Your set rules, but also you got to know when you want to say I failed. And I got to learn from my failure too. You have a, you know, you have a seven time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, who I'm sure is not going to deal. And you hear him in the, in, in the team recordings and everything. When they're talking, the engineer, they don't get along. They're two different. They're going, they're butting heads, you know, and the Italian guy's telling. I tell him to do something, he's like, I don't want to do it. I don't want to come in and change the tires now. I don't want to do that. I want to do. I don't want to do it. And they're saying you have to. And then when he does it, he's behind.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Back in, you know, so you gotta play the right.
Jennifer
You gotta.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Schumacher was different because Schumacher was like, the only way I'm gonna. And also he's a German. He's very like, you know, it's like, you know, straight.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Very like, you know, it's a different mentality. So for him it was like, I'm gonna win no matter what. And he did, no matter what. Lewis is a little bit different. What are all different? All these guys have different personalities.
Jennifer
What about that guy who's. His dad bought the team, you know, he's driving.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, yeah. With, with, yeah.
Jennifer
What's that team called again? That's the Aston Martin. Yeah, the Aston Martin. Who's, who's the guy?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I forget because I don't really care about son.
Jennifer
Is like, yeah, they're, yeah, he's, I.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Mean, listen, they're all good drivers to a certain degree. But, you know, that's, that's a kid who, you know, silver spoon, you know, the guy had to buy the team. He puts him in there. He's never, he's never going to finish. He's never going to be on the podium. He's never been on the podium. I don't think.
Jennifer
Is he even good? I mean, he has to have to be good enough to even be there. Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
The thing with Formula one is a different. Like I said, to be in that world, it's like, what's that guy's name.
Jennifer
Is going to drive me crazy now.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Check on your phone what it is.
Jennifer
Yeah, it's the Aston Martin. His dad's a billionaire.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I know Alonzo, but I don't know. Alonzo is actually finished on the, on the podium. And that car. But this kid has never done it. Plus he's crashed the car. You know, every time he crashed the car. Millions of dollars.
Jennifer
Yeah. Yeah, that's him.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I don't really.
Jennifer
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Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
What do you, what is your like routine? What do you do every day? What are your like, non negotiables and.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
What I do every day in camp campus do different things.
Jennifer
Okay. I want, I want to know just on a regular day with Antonio and then I also want to know what you do when you're like up leveling.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, at home in Florida, I train twice a day. I train two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. Seven days a week.
Jennifer
You do four hours of working out a day?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
What do you do?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I do cardio in the morning for two hours. For two hours.
Jennifer
What do you do?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I do one hour on the bike and I do it in the heat. Hot, humid garage gym that I have. I like to sweat a lot, so I have. I even have a sweatsuit on and I have weights on myself. Either a body weight or my ankle weights. And I ride on the bike going uphill for one hour. That's my first thing. And then after that I'll go for the boxing. I either do speed bag and I do a lot of rounds on that Or I do bag work. So I'll do the bag work for straight for another hour. That's first.
Jennifer
Every day?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Every day, seven days a week, no days off. And then in the afternoon I come back and do weights for two hours. For two hours.
Jennifer
Do you do, do you do splits or full body? How do you do it?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I do full body, I do legs, I do squats. I do a lot of squats with not a lot of heavy weight. I like to be limber, I like to be lean. My body's always been, my favorite body's always been Steve Reeves meets Bruce Lee. Very lean, very muscular. But not big like schwarzenegger, like Rocky 3 versus Rocky 4. I like to be lean and very, very loose, fast and cut. And my body weight, I like to keep it about 175 to 180.
Jennifer
And how tall are you?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Six one.
Jennifer
You're six one?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
I didn't notice that. I thought you were less than that.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Probably shrinking as I go.
Jennifer
Yeah, maybe you are. Right. So you do two hours of weight, full body, every day?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, everything.
Jennifer
So what did you do today? Oh, you didn't work out?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Today is my training.
Jennifer
Oh, no. Right. Don't tell me that we're gonna get to that.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Yeah. Okay. So you do four hours of working out on a reg.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Do you, what do you eat? What do you eat? What are your supplements?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I eat a lot of protein, a lot of fish, turkey, chicken, a lot of meat. I like steaks. My wife makes the best steaks.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. I stay away from carbs, but you know, carbs. I try to stay away with it. Yeah. Straight away from it.
Jennifer
Yeah, but you're Italian.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. So I have my days, don't get me wrong, I don't, and I don't call cheat days. If I eat a pizza, I eat a pizza comfortably and then the next day I have to pay the price for it. But I'll eat some rice or some pasta once in a while. But most of it for me is high protein and, and, and some vegetable. I'm not crazy about vegetables. But for me, I'll eat like two steaks in a row. I'll eat, I'll eat like burgers without the bread. I, I like, I like meat. I'm like, I eat like a lion.
Jennifer
And you eat, what do you like? What time do you wake up in the morning?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That depends. Right now I, I, you know.
Jennifer
No, not now. When your normal days without.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I get up at 6 in the morning. That's a good time for me. And, and I train. Like, I have my gym at home. Yeah, I don't like to go to gyms. I think gyms are the most unhealthy and most bacteria unhealthy places in the world. And the reason why, because they did. No matter how much you clean them, you're going to get sick. Plus, they have air conditioning. I don't like to work with air conditioning. And plus I don't like to see people wearing their makeup when they work out. It just bugs me. It's one of the things that if you work out, you need to sweat. How can you work with me? You know? And so, plus, I never paid for a membership my whole life. And I like to get up in the morning. I don't drink coffee anymore, too. I quit coffee altogether and I feel so much better. So for me is waking up in the morning, have some water, and then go straight into my garage and work out.
Jennifer
So you're in the gym at your home around what, six?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Six to eight? Yeah, six to eight. Yeah. I get up right away. I just. I just walked and I start.
Jennifer
No coffee, just water.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, no coffee. I can't. I used to drink a lot of coffee. Now I quit for many months. Many, many months.
Jennifer
And you feel. How did you quit?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, I never wanted to be addicted to anything anymore. And were you a drug addict at some point? Yep. Yeah, I'm a recovering addict and I've done some best stuff in my life and. And I've been clean for many, many years, but coffee was the last thing that I was addicted to. And I just didn't feel 100. And now that I'm boxing, I took it to another level. I'm like, let me try to see. Because I quit coffee before and the first two weeks is horrible. Migraines. It's just, you know, I mean. And then I did that. I went through the migraines and then all of a sudden I was like, I just take my creatine in the morning and water and I'm good to go. And I feel so much stronger. I'm like, really to another level, my cardio and everything. And like, I can push it even more without coffee.
Jennifer
What kind of creatine do you take? What company?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I don't even remember. I don't remember. I'll take. Yeah, I'll take any creatine.
Jennifer
Don't. It's very important to know where your supplements are coming from.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, no, I don't remember what I take this one from. I tell you the truth. But if you want to Sponsor me. We'll. We'll talk.
Jennifer
Yeah, you should, you should take. I'm going to give you some samples of my own. Of momentous. Because it is. Sponsor me. It's. Yeah, I'll sponsor you. Exactly. Momentous. Maybe Momentous. Would you like to sponsor him?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Let's talk about it.
Jennifer
Because it's like you. They're, they're, I think they're third party tested and, and all the things like.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You have to do my blood work too.
Jennifer
You have to.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Dr. Sandra in Beverly Hills is my doctor.
Jennifer
Oh, I know that.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
That roller guy. I've heard of her. Him.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, he's the best. I, I just did my blood work because I was here and, and that I do constantly. Every year just to know.
Jennifer
Once a year or twice a year.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Twice a year, every six months.
Jennifer
So. Okay. Are you on any testosterone? Any. No, nothing. You don't take anything like that? No, no peptides.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No peptides.
Jennifer
How about true Niagen also that.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I know so much about it right now. You got to do peptides every day.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
To do peptides it means I would have to inject myself every single day. And I'm not going to do that.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
For me, my. That's why I'm waiting for my testosterone levels to be. And hopefully it'll be at about a thousand.
Jennifer
Hold on.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
What? Yeah.
Jennifer
You're waiting to see.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
What are they Right. The last time you got 800 to.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
A thousand is what I keep naturally. Yeah. Yeah.
Jennifer
Just 53.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. Steaks. And working out as much as I do helps because I was also.
Jennifer
I like weight training is very good for, you know, naturally increasing your. But every day. Isn't that, doesn't that also. Isn't there a burnout factor because you're working out so much, can it deplete?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Not for me. I need it. I also need it for my mental health.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
From my brain. So it for me is. And I recuperate every night. I'm good to go. I am good to go. The next day. There's no time in between where I need that rest day for me, for me. Now, I don't suggest to do this for anybody. I'm not a trainer, but I've been doing this for many years. I know my body in and out better than anybody. So I know what to take. I know if I eat this, it's going to affect me here. I know what I have to do. And I have to train every day, seven days a week.
Jennifer
And when during the day are you doing your two hours of weights.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
What time in the afternoon?
Jennifer
How do you have time to work out for four hours a day? Four hours a day?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, and this is between meetings and I'm also in real estate or if I do a movie or whatever, you know, if I do a movie, I'll work out in the morning before going on set and then I'll do it afterwards.
Jennifer
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's funny because people make excuses. They can't find 10 minutes.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, my fitness book was called no Excuses.
Jennifer
So was mine.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, no Excuses. I released in 1999. Yeah.
Jennifer
My first book was released in 2009 and it was called no Excuses. It was called no gym required, no anytime anywhere. No excuses. Excuses.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, mine is no Excuses. Just no excuses.
Jennifer
That is so funny because that you.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Can make an excuse for anything.
Jennifer
Okay, so wait, so then eating wise, you eat a lot. Okay, so what do you eat for breakfast?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I don't eat breakfast. I fast. My time to eat is between 12 and 8. That's it.
Jennifer
And then you. How about sugar? How about fruit? Do you eat fruit?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No fruit. I mean, no fruit. Not a lot of fruit. No sugar. None.
Jennifer
Do you have. Okay, so I would imagine no alcohol.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No.
Jennifer
So when did, when were you an addict? At what point of your life?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That was years ago. And I talk about it in my book, The Antonio Sabato Jr. The Untold Stories. I'm very open about everything. I was, I was, I got addicted to. To painkillers and I got addicted to sleeping pills. I was going through a really tough time in my life and I, I coped with it by going to sleep and taking these pills. And we're talking about like, you know, very addictive Valium? Kind of.
Jennifer
Yeah. And what year are we talking?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
This is over 10 years ago. Yeah.
Jennifer
Was this when this whole Donald Trump situation happened or before then?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Right before. Yeah, right before I went, I went to. I went to recovery. I went to a really dark place in recovery, to the center I went to was in Pasadena. I didn't want to go to the, you know, Club Med and you know, Britney Spears Malibu Treatment Center.
Jennifer
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I wanted to go to the hardcore. You know, some of my friends to this day are people that got out of jail, went into jail. I learned so much about myself. I was without a phone, working on myself, recovering. I did 30 days.
Jennifer
So wait, so how long were you an addict for?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Many years?
Jennifer
How many?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I would say long enough.
Jennifer
Like five years.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, about. Yeah, so long enough. Even one day was too long.
Jennifer
So basically when my Qu. When. When I asked you earlier, like, what happened to you, would you say that was also something that happened? Like, you took a. You took a kind of like a hiatus?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Because of what happened.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I kept working and I kept working. You were still working because you're living, you know, when you're an addict, you live in two different worlds. You live in the real world, and you live in a fake world, and you can sustain the two by the drugs you're taking. You know, it's just. It's a fascinating thing that we create for ourselves.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
This imaginary world, and that's what they always call it, a recovery addict. Because you're always an addict.
Jennifer
Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And you're just recovering for the rest of your life. I don't look at it like my days being clean. I know I'm going to be clean for the rest of my life. It's not even a question for my kids. And that's why I want to be open and I want to share this to my. To my children and everyone who's watching. Because you shouldn't be afraid for the mistakes you make. We all make mistakes. It's how you recover and how you come back stronger the next time, you know, Because I've seen a lot from my friends who are dead or gone. They're not coming back, who fell back in the wagon, who went back to the heroin, who went back to all these things, and there's no recovery for that. When you're gone, you're gone. And so I had so many second chances to say, you know what? I'm so blessed with everything that I have. How can you learn and how can you teach this? How can you express this to other people that might need that in your life? And that's why I'm still here, stronger than ever. And that's where I'm going to prove to everyone that it's never over until it's over.
Jennifer
What was the. I guess the straw that broke the camel's back. Why did you. Well, what was the bottom I should.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Say I was at? Yeah, it was the rock bottom. When I didn't have those pills anymore, when. When that drug in my life was not available to me, that I couldn't get it, my body went into a seizure. I went into a physical and mental seizure that I never experienced in my life. And that's why I remember calling my mom, and I was just bawling. I was in the middle of the desert by myself, let's say, you know, like, I was isolated, feeling completely helpless, and I said, I got to go to a treatment, and I don't want to go to a. You know, like I said, yeah, I don't want to go to Fantasy. I want to go to a real place. And I went. And when I went there, I rediscovered myself in a way, and I. And I got on a spiritual journey with God in a different way. Like, what I really was meant to be here for, my connection to my children, my family. Later, after that, I met my wife, now Katya, who I love dearly. Like, my life is right now is where it's supposed to be. Because of that moment.
Jennifer
Because of that. Well, that's always what happens, right? Like, your worst moment can end up being your best moment, Right. Like, you don't. But you don't know that at the time. You only know that after the fact, right?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, absolutely.
Jennifer
What brought you there? Like, what started the drug use in the first place?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, I was. I was not happy in my life. And sometimes when you're not happy in your life and you just don't know where to go on a personal level, you cope with all kinds of things. You cope with alcohol, you cope with hanging with the wrong people. You cope with drugs. You cope with things that. That become addicted to you. And that's why I even quit coffee, because I don't want to be. I want to be addicted to training. I want to be addicted to my kids. I want to use that word to be addicted, which is a strange, interesting word, to things that make me better. You know, I want to be addicted to God. You know, I want to be addicted to my wife. I want to be addicted to, you know, the things that make me just holy. And that stuff wasn't. And I'm glad that. And I was always in fitness, and I even trained during these times. I always.
Jennifer
Oh, you did?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. But it was never enough because this is a psychological journey, a spiritual journey. And also the addiction was so physical for me that my body reacted in a way that I never felt before. You know, heroin is one of the worst ones. And have you ever tried heroin? No, I never tried heroin.
Jennifer
Never? How about coke and all the other ones? Yeah, because in those times, like back in the 90s, I had the worst friends.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I had people, they were hung, you know, you know, the. The. The whole people. You know, the people hanging around you. The. All the wrong people, you know. What was that show with Mark Wahlberg? You know, I'm talking about, right, where everybody's hanging out. He. He.
Jennifer
He did not boogie. Not Boogie Nights. I Mean, what was it?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, the TV show he had with all his friends hanging out.
Jennifer
Oh, oh, you mean Entourage.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, Entourage. Right. I had to read that.
Jennifer
Wasn't Mark Wahlberg, by the way.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, he produced. It was about him.
Jennifer
Oh, right. It was about. You're right. And Dagiel, of course, Mark Wahlberg.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
So Entourage. I had the real entourage for many years before my. My. My. My kids were born, and, And. And I had that life, and that's not the life I wanted, and that's not the life that I want right now.
Jennifer
So you were Vinnie, Basically.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I had all that.
Jennifer
And how long. How long did you have that life?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
For many years. I had the worst people hanging around me, wannabes, you know, all the best friends. And none of those people are in my life right now. None of them?
Jennifer
None of them?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
None of them. I have a few friends in my life. I can tell you who they are. And my family, of course, and that's.
Jennifer
Did you live in the hills back then? In Hollywood Hills?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I lived in Hollywood, yeah.
Jennifer
And did you have.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I lived in. Actually, I lived in Maria. I had a house by the beach. I had the friends, I had the parties. I had all that.
Jennifer
And then let me ask you something, because I would imagine you made a lot of money.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Because you were like the guy then. Did you, like, waste it all away? What did you do with all that money?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I bailed people out of prison.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I got people out of prison. I took people all over the world, first class here and there, to events and things like that. Yeah.
Jennifer
You spend it all.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
So were you then when you were taking the drugs, was it because, like, you kind of like, were at rock bottom in your life and your career? What happened?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy with myself. I wasn't happy with the life that I was living. And I knew. I think part of me knew that I was. I needed to do more to get to this level that I am now. I just didn't know how to do it. And so by being unhappy, I coped it by taking this stuff that made me really addicted. And then. And I found out the hard way, because when I didn't, I, you know, if I. If I still would have had those pills, I probably would have. Would have taken thing till the. Till the end. And. And God said no more. And then when he stopped, it is where everything became real. Real. Real.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
And then. But. But now you've been clean for years, though.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
For years?
Jennifer
For years. How about. Did you date Any famous ladies when you were younger?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I did.
Jennifer
Who did you date?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Jennifer Love Hewitt. Madonna. You know, Madonna, when she did Vogue, she was number one, you know, in the world. We dated. And the only reason why I'm talking about it and people know about it, because I released the information because I kept my. In Pamela Anderson back in the day, and I kept my relationship with these amazing ladies, Ashley Judd, I kept it very secret, very. You know, I respect them. I respect the time that we had together also. Virginia Matson was the mother of my first child, who's in. In his 30s right now. And so it's. I've been fortunate enough to. To. To have amazing, beautiful, you know, very famous people in my lives, but I kept it very private.
Jennifer
Did you. How. How long did you date Madonna for?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
We dated for a whole summer.
Jennifer
Ooh, a whole summer. How old were you?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I was. I was about, what, 18 years old.
Jennifer
You were 8. How old was she if you were 18?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
She was in the 30s, so she.
Jennifer
Must have been, like, 30.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
What is with these people? You were, like, literally a child, though, when we met.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I mean, when I met Donna, I was just. She was the coolest person ever, I remember. And she was. To me, she was so beautiful and talented and. And I've learned so much from her. And. Yeah, so we had. We had an amazing time. And then after that, I got married for five months to a beautiful model, one of the, you know, Tully Jensen, which is incredible woman, one of the top models of the time. Like, I did things my way.
Jennifer
Like, I. I know, but I want to know the. I want to know, like, the, the tea here. Now we're getting to the good stuff that people are going to listen to. Okay, so why did you and Madonna break up? Did she break up with you because you were a kid?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
We never. We just had a really comfortable, awesome summer together, and. And we just spent a lot of time together in New York City.
Jennifer
I remember these.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
We met here. We met in Los Angeles, and we clicked at Herb Ritt's house and. Remember those games, Truth or Dare?
Jennifer
Of course.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. Back in the day, the first time. So we played this game, and she dared me to do some stuff, and. And then we. We started dating and we.
Jennifer
What did she dare you to do?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
She dared me to kiss her in front of everybody, and. And I did. And. And then. So it was. It was. It was surreal, you know. And then I went to New York, living there on my own, you know, dating Madonna secretly. Nobody knew. You know, all the paparazzi were Waiting in the front. We would go from the back.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And I wanted to do that. I didn't want to be. I didn't want to be the boy toy. You know, when me and Pamela dated, it was between me and her. It was very kind and beautiful and nobody knew it. This is before she got married. This is before the whole thing. And. Yeah. And so I got to know them for who they were, not the celebrity. And they got to know me for who I was. And we had an amazing time together. So. And I always respected them and I always wanted to respect. But since time is. Has gone by, I can openly talk about our times together. You know, Jennifer, love was. Was great time with me and her, and I cherished that time. She's a smart, beautiful woman.
Jennifer
How long did you date her for?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
We dated for several months.
Jennifer
She dated. She actually ended up marrying a guy.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I know, actually, you know, I think three beautiful kids and she has an amazing. She's. She's in a movie right now. Coming. I mean, like, she's. I'm so just pleased to have. And I never dated anybody I work with, like I said.
Jennifer
Right, right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, people I work with. But. But I got to meet these. These amazing women and I was. Yeah, I was like an Italian boy coming from Italy, like being surrounded with so much beauty and talent. Yeah. And then what about stunning women?
Jennifer
What about Pamela? Because, I mean, like, people. Certain people, like, whatever. Right. Pamela. How long did you date her for? She's Canadian too.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
So we kept our. Our relationship, like I said, very private. We dated a few times, but I never. There was so much hype with both of us that I think it kept us away from. From being. Jumping in that world, at least for me, because I didn't want to. Like I said, I didn't want to be. I didn't want anybody to know my business. Especially at the time was the beginning of the paparazzi chasing you.
Jennifer
Totally.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
All that stuff. The paparazzi magazines, the People magazine, all that stuff. So I kept it very, very private.
Jennifer
Who is the. Your favorite person that you dated in that world?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, they're. They're all great. Obviously, you know, Virginia Matson, you know, we had a. You know, we. We spent a lot of time together and we have a son together.
Jennifer
I want. She is. I don't remember who she is. I gotta Google her.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And God bless her and her family and her brother just. And God bless the Madsen family. Her brother Michael just passed away and I know the entire family went through hell and back, so My condolences to. To Virginia and her family and. And Michael, who I. I used to know very well. And he. He was a great guy, great talent. So again, to addiction and things like that. So. But I had so much. They're. They're all different. You know, when. When me and Ashley Judd dated, she's such a smart, beautiful woman that I just loved having these long conversations with Madonna. I remember having conversations about business and how do you manipulate the money, you know, she was on the phone talking about multimillion dollar contracts. And I was fascinated by how she was just so calm and very smart about how she was dealing with how, you know, managers and agents. And also she was very fit. She used to run a Central park every morning. I loved that about her. I know. Also, her diet was very strange. She was like. She would eat, like, she wouldn't. She would eat like popcorn at night. Like these low carbs popcorn, and she was full with that. I'm like, that's all you eat? Yeah, yeah. So it was like, I learned different things.
Jennifer
She'd only eat popcorn at night.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, she would eat, like, at times when I used to go and then spend time with her, she used to eat like just. Just some popcorn in there. And then we. We would have like an early dinner and then. But it wasn't that much. She wasn't like a big eater. She was very lean, did a lot of yoga, a lot of running. When she did Vogue, I mean, she was like, number one in the world.
Jennifer
No. By the way, her movie Truth or Dare was one of my favorite movies ever.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
We dated right after that.
Jennifer
Really? So she was at the. She was bigger than. She was bigger than physically.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
She was just amazing.
Jennifer
She was like. Like a spectacle. Like a spectacle.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
She was so fit and she was so perfect with her, like, like six miles every day. Do you remember? And she would do the yoga trainer, the private train. Yeah, she was. What I always admired about her was that she was the most disciplined, like, hard worker. You can't. You couldn't. You couldn't touch her in that way.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Like, no, she wouldn't do that. Like, she. She would take some. She could take some time off. She never took some time. I remember calling him, like, I'm coming over. She's like, no, I'm finishing up my training. Give me another hour. I'm like, she was always on point. I learned a lot. I learned a lot.
Jennifer
That would be a good. Like, I was. That's what I was at. I wanted to know because, like, just being around her at that time when her career was like, the biggest of all time.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
You must have just gleaned so much information from her and learned just so much.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because I wasn't like just a kid off the street, you know, wanted to be an actor, blah, blah, blah. I was. I was. You know, when I have these conversations, even with you, like, I'm always, like, listening and paying attention. I'm dedicated to the time that we have. And I think I've always had that with everyone. And they saw that. I'm like, this kid is really listening to what I have to say.
Jennifer
Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
There's a lot of people in that world. When you're that big, we're not listening to you.
Jennifer
Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They're like, yeah, whatever. Yeah, whatever, Whatever. I'm like, I'm really listening what you're saying. I'm really paying attention.
Jennifer
Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, so that's true.
Jennifer
It's good. That's. But that's really. It's. That's. When you have people like that around you or people yet you can learn from, you should take that opportunity.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Absolutely.
Jennifer
Right. So what was the top lesson that Madonna then taught you?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, just stay focused on your dreams and be dedicated. Really be dedicated. And what I learned from her is lifestyle. Because people talk about diets and they talk about regimens and being motivated. I take all that stuff and put it on the side. Lifestyle for me is so much important because it's like brushing your teeth. What I learned is you got to brush your teeth today, right? You're not even going to forget about it because you don't want to go to the dentist tomorrow. You don't want to have cavities. You want to take care of your teeth.
Jennifer
Teeth.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
So for me, training is like a lifestyle to me. Eating is like a lifestyle. Because dedication and motivation will only last so long. You know, people have prior trainers and people who are into diets, and diets don't work. You're always going to fail, and you'll feel bad that I put some pounds on, but if you have that lifestyle that constantly, no matter what, you're always going to be on track, you can't get out of it. So I learned that from her and everybody else, and I. And I made it part of my life.
Jennifer
I think it's also what I say is that you got to build habits. Like that routine. Like, habits are what keep you doing the thing day in, day out. Right. If things are not habits, it's easy to forget. Like, you're right. Brushing your teeth. Like, just how People brush their teeth, they should be going to the gym or they should be working out or moving their body, like, but they treat.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It like, you know, like it's like.
Jennifer
I know, like it's like some kind of like, like it's a hassle or it's like a secondary thing that's completely unnecessary. Yeah, but all that, like, to me, like, your, your exercise time or your workout should be like, fundamentally primary in your day.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I work out with my. When I work out at home, I put my glasses on, even. I did.
Jennifer
You're wearing your glasses now. What's. Can I see what you look like?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, of course. Oh, because these are the best glasses. Adidas, the best glasses in the world. I, I work, I wear them every day because they, they soothe in my eye, especially with lights. But to me, to, to when I, When I train and I'm focused on, I like to wear my glasses. I don't like to pay attention to anybody else. I like, I don't like the music. I don't like. To me, it's like two hours of this training today. It's not going to be fun. It's not going to be a walk in the park. It's not going to be, it's going to be like anything. Like right now, I'm always focused on what I'm doing at the moment.
Jennifer
You don't listen to music when you're working out?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Try not to. No, no, I try to focus on, like.
Jennifer
Because you're not bored?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because I don't stop. I don't, I don't even. In my camp right now, we do have, you know, he plays the music because I do a lot of dancing and moving in the ring, but for me, it's like, like when I, when I jump into the training session, if it starts at six, I'm gonna, like, that's the marathon. And then at eight o', clock, I can stop the marathon.
Jennifer
Oh, yeah, Tell me. Yeah, I want to know what your, your routine is when you are training. You told us what you do when you're off training. Yeah, yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Camp is six days a week and it's four hours.
Jennifer
Seven.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Not seven.
Jennifer
Do you train less when you're at camp?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, well, because I'm doing more into the sparring, into the beating up the body in a different way. Like, you know, getting hit in the rib and getting hit in the head. There's a lot of different muscles that I don't use that are really hurting. So for me, that day off, and also my coach, Chris Steele, Says, you got to do it, you got to do it. But it's six days a week, and it's four hours straight every morning, six to 10. Every morning, six days a week for nine weeks straight.
Jennifer
And what are you doing?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
We're doing everything in the ring. It's from sparring speed. Like, I do speed bag, 10 rounds of speed bag. I do, you know, 10 to 12 rounds. I'm moving around, sparring, doing all the technical stuff. Bag work, mitt work. No weights at all, Just sit ups. A lot of sit ups. Everything is nimble and loose. I haven't done weights in six months.
Jennifer
Really?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. No weights? None. Like, right now, it's. It's Sugar Ray Leonard body, Sugar Ray Robinson. Very loose. My cardio is off the charts. I mean, like, I can spar with guys that do marathons or swimmers and they wouldn't last.
Jennifer
So when you're doing the. The six to ten now, you're not doing the biking and all that stuff, you don't do that.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No running, no nothing. Not even jump roping. Everything is in the ring. For four hours? Yeah, for four hours. I had to change, set up of, like, my wardrobe. I have to change because I'm drenched. So I have to change socks or drench. I have to change in two hours. I change them and I have to put a new outfit. Yeah. And then I go for two hours again.
Jennifer
So you said, do you ever run anymore or do incline walking? Is it just always the bike?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Bike for spar? No, for camp, there's no bike.
Jennifer
No, no, no, not for. I'm sorry, I should. I didn't mean to.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, for me?
Jennifer
Yeah, for me it's running.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, for me it's running.
Jennifer
That only bike and bag.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, I do. Well, let me, Let me phrase this. So I. I do. I do running and I do biking for most of the times, and sometimes I even go in the ocean. I do some swimming as well.
Jennifer
Okay, so you'll either do some days you will run and not bike.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, yeah.
Jennifer
But the bag is always the same for an hour.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, Bag is always.
Jennifer
How long do you run for an hour?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, the hour. I do. I do four miles at the park. So I go, I leave my house and I do four miles and I come back and I still do the bike because that four miles will take me for half an hour.
Jennifer
Oh, so the bike is a consistent.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Thing, Is always there.
Jennifer
But sometimes you add in the running for a half hour.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Because I like to. I like to be outside, and I also like to run in heat and hot weather. And that's what Florida is perfect for.
Jennifer
Me because the humidity doesn't it. It must be a killer in there.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It's a killer and I love it. The breathing, the hard. The thin hair, the, you know, the. The steam room kind of thing. The sweating. I love sweating. And working out. Sweating. I don't like to work out in. In cold and air conditioning.
Jennifer
That's why I hate. That's true. That's actually true. That's why I don't like going to the gym at Equinox, because. Sorry, Equinox, but it's always cold.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I like to work in hot water.
Jennifer
I like to, like. I hate working out in there. That's why I have. In my house, I have, like, trucks.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
When I go to Italy, I find these old gyms.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
With like, you know, rust and like, old gym. Nobody even uses them right. No air conditioning. I like to go on those places.
Jennifer
How about Costa Rica? You love Costa Rica.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, I love Costa Rica.
Jennifer
You do?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Yeah. Because of that reason.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, because of that reason.
Jennifer
Yeah. I'm going to Costa Rica actually the end of the month. I'm nervous.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I would love to build, if anybody's willing to. To build it with me, gyms around the country where they're open. Their warehouses.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Just warehouses with those big fans.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, but no air conditioning. Open the gates and just work out.
Jennifer
There's a lot of those gyms everywhere. You just have to find them.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But I want big warehouses all over the country where you can just go and work crazy and. And do a lot of cardio in the heat.
Jennifer
So it's cardio.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Cardio weight routine. Yeah.
Jennifer
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Antonio Sabato Jr.
I do up to 15 to 20 pounds. Like, I do like a hundred shoulder presses in a row. Bop, bop, bop. And I'll do like sets of shoulder presses, shoulder flies. I'll do another hundred of chest flies. I'll do cables for another hundred.
Jennifer
So 15 to 20 only and you're doing 100 reps at a time?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, 100 reps. 50 to 100. And I'll do like elastic bands. Yeah, I'll do like 50 to 101 side. Do a 50 to 101 side.
Jennifer
I want to work out with you. When would you be working out here? Can I work out with you? I want to see.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Anytime.
Jennifer
You probably don't like to work out with people. I would imagine it slows you down.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
For me, I love it when they say, oh, let's train and all that stuff. For me, it's like, there's no fun, there's no jokes, there's none of that.
Jennifer
I know. You're actually serious.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. And so for the next 60, when I did my Antonio, for example, in Hawaii, I trained the entire crew. And by the time they were done filming, they were the fittest crew you could ever imagine. And every morning before shooting, I took into my regiment and there was no talk, no music. It was just non stop doing all kinds of fun stuff in a row for two hours every morning. And by the time we were done, like I said, they were ready to do a marathon on. They were the fittest. They lost so much weight and. And that's what we do. And some of them wouldn't come back the next day.
Jennifer
They wouldn't come back the next day. I know, it's like I just came from something. And all these people were asked, they're like, hey, would you work out with us? And I said, if I like, would you train us? And I'm like, well, if I train you, it's not fun and games. We're not going to be sitting there chitchatting we're going to go through my routine. And I did that. And lo and behold, the next day nobody showed up again.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Oh, well.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And to do it every day, like you could have a great workout a week, but for me, it's not having a great workout a week. It's about having it every day.
Jennifer
No, I agree. Okay, tell me about your boxing. Celebrity boxing tournament. Like, who are you boxing?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And, and Corey Williams is his name. He's the, he's the king of hooks. He's from Philadelphia.
Jennifer
How did you even get into this? Like, why did someone called you and said, hey, do you want to make some money?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, I was actually going to fight Roy Jones Jr. Back in the 90s when I was doing General Hospital. And me and Chris Steele and Steel boxer, the entire gym, they were setting this up for a celebrity match. So I'm very comfortable with celebrity matches.
Jennifer
It 30 years ago.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Why don't you do jack? What's not Jack? Jake Paul. You should, you should find out.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I already asked him to fight. I already asked him. They haven't responded. It's fine. I'll fight somebody else.
Jennifer
But, you know, and it wouldn't get ratings. He wants, like to fight Tyson, you know what I mean?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I mean, he's, he's ranked now as a cruiserweight, but I think, yeah, he's ranked finally after fighting these old guys. But for me, it's a different type of fight because I don't fight like them. And could you kill them?
Jennifer
Probably.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, it'd be fun. It'd be a lot of fun. It'll be a different, a different match than what he's been doing, that's for sure.
Jennifer
I think Mike Tyson was paid to, you know, take the.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Mike Tyson, by the way, he got, he was in a hospital bed few, few months before the fight. He was doing really bad. He had a blood transfer. He has some stuff going on with him. Interesting that they even let him fight. Plus, he's been smoking marijuana for the last 10 years. So his lungs are jacked, right?
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Plus he hasn't been training for many years. So it's like there's a kid who is fresh, who's training in Puerto Rico, who's got millions of dollars. He's got the full team. He's got the, you know, the people feeding him this and that. But by the way, you know, Jake Paul has been looking worse and worse every fight. Like his physical body has been worse and worse. And he's got the same team and all that stuff. But, you know, he's babysit and he's picking the fights that he wants and he's, he knows what he's doing, you know, and he's making all these millions of dollars. I know what he's doing.
Jennifer
I mean, listen, he's making a shit ton of money. I think either Mike, Mike Tyson was paid to like, just take the, you know, just to like do it. And he want, he wants the money. He doesn't give a. At this point.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, he made $20 million for like, what, to stand there for 20 minutes or so, you know what I mean?
Jennifer
Stand there and listen, if you, if you were to look at, if you were to check out the, the footage like on Slow Mo, you see, he had like easy places where he could just pound the guy and he just.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
If Jake Paul wanted to fight professional, like he's talking about, he should fight a professional fighter is age.
Jennifer
His age of course was ranked now, of course.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But he hasn't been able to do that because he wants to keep this thing going. And I understand it because he would have lost. I mean, he lost against Fury and that guy's not even a good boxer and, and he was some sort of ranked or whatever and he lost against him, but he's won against. These guys were much older, were not known to be boxers. And then Mike Tyson was a money fight. Everybody wanted to see that fight. Everybody thought that Tyson and is going to come back like the old Tyson, and that's not the case. Like I said, when you, when you smoke that stuff for many years, your layers and your lungs are gone. It takes about a year to clean it all up.
Jennifer
I know. And he's smoking like not just a little bit. I mean, he's doing it like all day.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Listen, I'm okay, everybody do whatever you want to do. It's legal right now. But anytime you put stuff in your lungs and you're working in training, your lungs, which are not in the front, they're in the back. Back, they cover, you know, your rib cage and they're working in the back are layers of, of tissue in your lungs. And when you affect it by smoking, those tissues don't grow the same way. It takes a long time. And sometimes they don't even grow the same way at all because you've been smoking so long. So I know you guys want to smoke your marijuana. It's free, whatever, you know, I mean, it's free, it's, it's legal and all that, but anytime you put stuff in your lungs from nicotine and everything else is Going to affect you.
Jennifer
You know, Also, you know, they say now, of course. Oh, all the benefits you're getting. But personally, I mean, I don't know how people. Whenever I would, like, smoke marijuana or weed or whatever you want to call it, there's no chance that I would not eat 10 times my weight in calories because I'm starving. And your inhibitions are totally gone.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
So, like, you'll eat everything. You'll eat everything. There's no way. Let's have, like, no food around me and no vehicle. But now you can, like, order food.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
On your phone and now stop eating.
Jennifer
No, you. I'd gain £100. I literally gain £100 in a month.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Month, absolutely.
Jennifer
Because there's no stopping.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
The munchies will keep going and going.
Jennifer
And I don't care what people.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
That's why leukemia patients smoke.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You want it, you gotta eat, you know, 100.
Jennifer
I don't know how people don't. And also, you're so lethargic. You're just sitting around and all.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You're doing nothing.
Jennifer
Yeah. So then you're like, okay, you know what? Maybe I'll, like, eat this, you know, bag of.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And everybody works differently with taking all kinds of, you know, abusing your body. Everybody's different. And that's why everybody should talk from their own experience.
Jennifer
I'm talking my own experience. I don't care.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Right. But I. I tell you, you eat a lot and you affect your lun. And once your lungs are ruined and you can't breathe, let me tell you something. You wish you never smoked.
Jennifer
Yeah. 100% agree.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
How much are they paying you for this fight?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Not enough.
Jennifer
Not enough. That's a good answer. What's the precise, exact amount of money?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, let's put it this way. I'm not doing it for the money. I'm doing it for the pride, and I'm doing it because nobody else is doing it. And I also am doing it because I love doing it. And I can see myself doing this for a couple years and beating up some good people.
Jennifer
But you get like 10,000. You get 5,000. You get 20,000.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I get more than 20,000.
Jennifer
50.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah. Well, give and take. Let's see how many. Let's see how many people are going to buy the tickets, and hopefully it's going to be sold out. It's 2300 arena, the place that we're going to have the fight at.
Jennifer
Okay.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Xrumble.com is where you buy your tickets. I think it's going to be Sold out. But for me, it's not the money. For me, like I said, the pride and the fact that nobody else is doing this but me.
Jennifer
But why. I don't, I still don't get it.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
It's a challenge.
Jennifer
Why did they ask. Ask you? Is it because you needed them? Yeah. Okay, you ask them. Is it, is it because you. I know it's the pride and I understand all these answers, but do you also need to need it for the money?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, I could, I, I could definitely be doing a lot more doing, making a lot more money and being in real estate or doing other things. Yeah. Selling homes right now probably bring me a lot more money for me as I know that this is meant for me and it's going to bring me a lot of things. And it's also my comeback story. I think it's great. You know, the Rocky story. Philadelphia, Antonio Sabato in the 50s. Nobody's doing this. The fight, a real fight.
Jennifer
How old is the guy?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He's 10 years younger than me.
Jennifer
Okay, so he's 43. Okay. He's still old, though. I mean, when I say old, he's not 25.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I mean, that's it. But the world of boxing, you know, he's the king of hooks. He's the guy who's gonna bring it. But nobody else wanted to fight. I give him a lot of credit because, you know, I asked some celebrities in Hollywood to fight and they all said no.
Jennifer
Who did you ask? Ask?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I asked Mark Wahlberg. I asked Mario Lopez, these guys that they're the boxers, and they said no. We asked some other fighters who are retired. They said no. So I could.
Jennifer
Why would Mark Wahlberg, honestly, why would he get into the ring and fight you?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Why not?
Jennifer
Because A, he doesn't need the money or the fame or the notoriety, but.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Life is not about money. The life is about.
Jennifer
But he's busy also.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He's busy, but he could, he could, he could take a fight. It's a challenge. You know, why don't. Why do I want to race again? Why? I want to be a 24 hour Le Mans, you know, why do I want to risk so much? Because the risk, the risk also will bring you the reward.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And this is the type of guy I am that is doing stuff that nobody else is doing. Also, look what, look what this has done since I've started this boxing thing and I've been promoting. I have people in my family, people in the industry who are putting videos up about them boxing them at the gym with the with their private trainers. And I know it has to do with me because they never box one day in their lives. And all of a sudden this whole boxing game. Oh, I got a trainer. I'm boxing in the ring. I think I'm a fighter.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, so I'm changing people's lives and I think we need to do that. We need to expand the horizon and going after things that most people don't want to do.
Jennifer
Okay, that's a good answer. What about other ways you're making money currently?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Well, I'm in real estate.
Jennifer
You said that a couple times. Are you a real estate agent?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I'm a real estate agent in Florida. I sell homes. I, you know, I was part of a big. Take a project in downtown Tampa for a long while.
Jennifer
You're a real estate agent?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
You sell?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I sell. I can sell anything in real estate wise.
Jennifer
And you know what they should do with you?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
You know, by the way, taking a real estate agent test.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Is one of the hardest ever. And I was able to pass that too. And I went back to high school and got my diploma too, a few years back.
Jennifer
That's great. You know. You know, million dollar listing. They should do one and put you. Well, they. You should be one in one of those shows.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
True.
Jennifer
Because, like, I would. It would be funny to have you in one of those shows.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Don't you think?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, I can go to New York and then bring some projects back to Florida and vice versa.
Jennifer
Or just be, I guess. No, because.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And my wife is a real estate. She's. She's the pro. She's the. She's the real pro. Real estate.
Jennifer
She's really good. How many houses have you sold?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I sold a few, actually. A few condos.
Jennifer
Really.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Very expensive condos. Yeah. How much at Marina Point in Tampa, which are beautiful condos.
Jennifer
How much do they go for there?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They go for two to three million dollars.
Jennifer
In Tampa.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, yeah. Beautiful private boating and everything. It's. It's one of a kind. Marina Point is one of the best places ever. Yeah.
Jennifer
Do people say to you, oh, my God, you're Antonio Sabana Jr.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
They give you, you know, when I show, when I showcase these properties, they go, hold on a second. Are you the.
Jennifer
Yeah, yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And they get intrigued and then they want to buy the. And then they want to buy.
Jennifer
Or are they like, oh, my God, it's Antonio. Like, it's exciting for them, right?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah, it's very exciting.
Jennifer
Okay. I want to ask you about. We. I kind of jumped on over it. Before with the Donald Trump situation.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
So now when he wins again. Right. Ten years later.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
And now it's a whole different ball game. Right. Like, people have now jumped the shark. Right. And it's now cool to like him. Right. And it's like uncool to be on the Democratic side. How has that, how does that changed your life in terms of. I know you said you're not into politics, but are you involved with the MAGA and all that stuff?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I'm not involved with any political party or anything political because I know how, how of a nonsense it is and how fake it is.
Jennifer
Tell me what, tell me what you mean by that.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
There's two, there's two jobs, careers that really are the most, the fakest is the show entertainment world that I'm in and politics. Both of them, they're the ones who will lie at whatever cost. It doesn't matter. Constantly. 24, 24 7. Especially the congressmen, the politicians, the governors, all of them have to do it. It's just the way it is, is just like when you're on the red carpet and most people don't have the guts to tell you the truth and they tell you, everything is perfect in my life and you know that it's not. You know, and then they all get divorced and they all get their, their, their, their legal battles and all stuff, you know what I mean? And they, and they all date each other, you know, and all it's the same thing. And so I don't want to have anything to do with it. And, and I've learned a lot because I was in it. And so I tell everyone that if you really believe in this political thing and you're so eager to get in these arguments about politics, go for it, run for Congress, run for a political office and see for yourself how it really works.
Jennifer
Because you're also in Florida. So you have nothing to do with Donald Trump at all?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
No, no, I know, but. No.
Jennifer
Have you ever met the guy?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Oh, I've met him many times.
Jennifer
Right.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
On a personal level, he's a great guy. He's, you know, I've hosted events for him in the past. I went to the White House many times. I hosted beautiful events, classy events at the White House for Christmas events and, and for, for our military, who I adore, our police officers, our fire department, all that I love. I, I support our military in and out. I support, you know, first responders all the time. Our second Amendment, I'm all that. But the political world is such a nasty Nasty thing. And, and the entertainment world and the political world are two worlds that just collide all the time. They want to be in it together and they all collide at the same time. It's very interesting thing. It's like, in it. It's like the ying and the yang. And I don't like it anymore. I just don't have anything to do with it. I really don't. And you know, I'm asked for, for people running for, for political office. Do you want to support me and this. I'm not supporting you. I'm not supporting you. I'm supporting myself and my family and my career. That's it. And I support God and I support our nation, obviously I want our nation to succeed. But the political world is a nasty world. Very bad one, unfortunately.
Jennifer
So then do you think he's doing a good job? A bad job?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I think anybody in political office has the hardest job ever to make everybody happy to, to, you know, I think as far as working hard, he's the hardest working guy in his 80s to be working non stop 24 hours a day. I don't know how he does it. Oh, you got to give the guy credit.
Jennifer
You got to give. I was gonna say you can hate him or love him, but one thing, I mean, the guy's a hard working.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He doesn't have to do any of.
Jennifer
It, but he know he does because his ego would not allow him not.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
To deal with, you know, the lawsuits.
Jennifer
I don't. He's the most. Talk about resilience. I mean, this guy is the most resilient person.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
The Art of War.
Jennifer
I have never seen anything.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And the Art of the Deal is a great book that I read.
Jennifer
Yeah, I like that book.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He lives by it.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
I mean, but I wouldn't want to be around that environment, especially him where everybody is trying to be your friend and everybody hates you.
Jennifer
Yeah, everyone hates you. Now. It's convenient to be his friend. So people want to be his friend. But by the way, he doesn't give a shit. I mean, that's the thing.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
President, come call me at any given moment, throughout the night, whatever. So I need your help. I'm there for him, but at the end of the day, you know, he's doing a job. And most people would have. Oh man, it's the hardest job in the world.
Jennifer
But he wanted the job.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He wanted a job. And listen, the guy was shot.
Jennifer
Yes, he was shot.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
He survived and killed twice. And people forget that I'm like shot and people died that day. And God bless everyone that was affected by this. And so your life is in danger 24 hours a day. Plus, the people in your circle don't like you. And you gotta work with these people. And not to mention the people around the world.
Jennifer
But listen, he picks people who just are yes men who'll just kiss his ass. He doesn't want people in his life who are real people who tell him like it is. He wants people who are around him. Him who just say, yes, you're 100% right. You're amazing. You're wonderful. That's what he, that's what he wants.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
To a certain degree. But he also, he wants, like, I know him at a different. I've seen him work. He also wants the people who are smart to come in the room and say something to him that he's surprised by.
Jennifer
Smart. Did you see the, the gaggle of. Of yo yos that he's picked to be in all these major positions?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
But not all are. Are, are as bad.
Jennifer
Not all. Not all.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
There are the zest masters, and they are. And when they, when they talk to the media and they talk to the world and they don't back it up, they look like schmucks. Yeah, that's the political world that I have nothing to deal with. Because if you're going to say something, yeah, better do it. And most of these people, they try to, you know, say something, then that doesn't work out, they put it under the rug and everybody's like, what? Yeah, I voted for this. So, yeah. No, the political world is something that I'm glad that God protected me from because I, I could still be there. I could still be running for, for, you know, in Congress and, you know, in my Congress. District of 26 in Ventura county to this day, and going to Washington D.C. and going to the Capitol and dealing with these. No, they're just. No, they're snakes and they're leeches and no, I don't want to. They're. And basically the politician is supposed to be there to help the people and they're supposed to do that job for free. All politicians are rich. They're wealthy. They're not supposed to make all this money. They're not supposed to do all this. They're supposed to do it for the, you know, for the people, by the people.
Jennifer
Well, why. So. So, right. So then when you say, why is he doing it? I'll tell you why he's doing it. Because that man loves power. He's addicted to fame and he's addicted to Attention and money. And therefore, that's why he's doing it.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And also, I believe if that's what you agree with, I also have to add to the point that he loves this country. Yeah. Because this country is a special one. And if you let it go, just like we're seeing California go, like, I love California, you know, I love the state so much and I've seen it deteriorate and it's as beautiful. It still is. We have the best weather. I talk to people all the time. While you're still there. It's the best weather. But what about, you know, you bought a house for $3 million and there's people living in tents around the corner.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Your kids cannot walk down the street and feel safe. So that has changed. So I think part of him says, you know, we don't want. Want that to happen through the entire country. We gotta. Somebody's gotta do something. You know, we cannot take advantage and let these politicians take advantage of the whole shebang at some point. But once again, I take care of my family, my environment, try to live a really good life and try to leave the politicians to themselves.
Jennifer
To themselves.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Well, I gotta say, this was very interesting. I'm glad I did this podcast with you. This was really fun. I mean, the, the. It's the person behind the. The face. Face. The cute face from 1990. You know what I mean? I didn't even realize how young you were back then. Wow.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
Antonio Sabato Jr. Okay, so you're doing your boxing match. What date?
Antonio Sabato Jr.
September 27th in Philadelphia. Xrumble.com you can get your tickets as a 2300 arena. Beautiful arena. We're gonna have a great night.
Jennifer
Well, thank you so. And also follow him on Instagram. He's. He's on Instagram.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
And my movie comes out this year, 426. It's a horror movie. I'm very proud of that.
Jennifer
And also if you live in Tampa and want to buy a condo or a house.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Yeah.
Jennifer
He's your guy.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Very expensive one.
Jennifer
Thank you so much.
Antonio Sabato Jr.
Thank you.
Jennifer
Bye.
Podcast: Habits and Hustle
Title: Episode 486: Antonio Sabato Jr.: From Teen Heartthrob to Boxing at 53 (And Why He Was Blacklisted from Hollywood)
Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Jennifer Cohen
Guest: Antonio Sabato Jr.
The episode chronicles Antonio Sabato Jr.’s multifaceted journey—his meteoric rise as a teen heartthrob in the '90s, the impact of being blacklisted in Hollywood after supporting Donald Trump, his battles with addiction, career pivots into reality TV, construction, and now professional boxing at 53. The conversation explores resilience, reinvention, health and fitness, the realities of celebrity and politics, and the habits that have carried Antonio through career highs and lows.
“I never wanted to be stuck on anything. I wanted to hit and go.” – Antonio (19:51)
“All my managers and agents and commercial agents all dropped me over 24 hours, and I was called the worst names and I was put into the corner. And so I had to leave Hollywood. I couldn’t work.” – Antonio (23:36)
“This imaginary world…that’s what they always call it, a recovering addict. You’re always an addict. And you’re just recovering for the rest of your life.” (63:07)
“My favorite body’s always been Steve Reeves meets Bruce Lee…very lean, muscular, not big.” (55:01)
“With Madonna...I remember having conversations about business…fascinated by how she was just so calm and very smart…” (73:06)
“Two careers…the fakest is the show entertainment world…and politics. Both of them, they're the ones who will lie at whatever cost.” (95:47)
| Timestamp | Topic/Quote Summary | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:58–07:32 | Mindset for longevity and inspiration in later life | | 10:38–15:56 | Early career: break into acting, Janet Jackson video, General Hospital | | 23:36–24:58 | Blacklisting after Trump support, moving to Florida and construction | | 26:34–34:29 | Reinvention, extreme hobbies, Formula 1 | | 53:53–61:04 | Daily fitness regimen, diet, supplements, drug recovery | | 61:30–64:12 | Details on addiction, recovery, and lessons learned | | 68:40–76:13 | Reflections on dating Madonna, Pamela Anderson, lessons from celebrity relationships | | 95:12–101:14| Reflections on politics, blacklisting, and the parallel with Hollywood | | 93:41–94:53 | Current work as real estate agent in Florida | | 102:44–103:08| Boxing match details, upcoming projects |