“Tulsa King” Director Denies Allegations Sylvester Stallone Made Offensive Comments About Background Actors

Craig Zisk denied claims made by an Atlanta casting company that Stallone reportedly called background actors "ugly"

An Atlanta-based casting agency has announced its departure from Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King and claimed that the set was a "clear toxic environment."

On April 7, Rose Locke Casting Company announced on Facebook that it had “chosen to part ways with Tulsa King,” just days after sharing a "last minute" casting call for extras for the show.

Screenshots circulated on Facebook speculated that the company’s exit is related to offensive comments allegedly made by Stallone, 77, accusing him of calling the extras “f---ing ugly” while on a phone call with the show’s director and “made fun of their weight and handicaps.” One screenshot was shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) by TV writer Julie Benson, who wrote that her friend was due to work as a background actor on Tulsa King this week, but received this “disturbing news.”

The post was allegedly shared in a private Facebook group for actors, and also alleged that Stallone requested “pretty young girls” to be “around” him while on set.

Related: Sylvester Stallone Talks Fame and Life Regrets in Revealing Sly Documentary Trailer (Exclusive)

A source close to the show tells PEOPLE that the Tulsa King team "recently became aware of the post and [is] looking into it," noting that "routine casting decisions are made all the time" and the Paramount+ series prides itself on fostering a "fair and respectful workplace."

The source adds that production is trying to "recreate" and "match the scenes" from season 1 "creatively."

Craig Zisk, the show’s director, denied the reports on April 9, telling TMZ that the casting company’s exit came about because Locke was called out for not doing her job. He directly denied that Stallone made the comments alleged in the post, which included calling an actor a “tub of lard” and referring to another as “fat guy with cane.”

Zisk told the outlet that Locke was not on set on the day Stallone made the alleged comments, and she had improperly cast the background actors for the scene. The Tulsa King team had requested that Locke submit headshots of the extras ahead of time, which she refused to do, and brought a group of actors that were older than requested for the given scene. Zisk said that Locke quit after they disagreed on the matter.

The Golden Globe-nominated producer also noted to TMZ that Stallone never made comments about wanting “pretty girls” on set, adding that his wife, Jennifer Flavin, was present.

PEOPLE has reached out to reps for Stallone and Zisk.

Related: Sylvester Stallone Says He Underwent 7 Surgeries from Injuries Sustained Doing Stunts on First Expendables Film

In the alleged email, shared on X and cited by Deadline, Locke said she was "informed of certain things that happened" on the Tulsa King set on April 4 while shooting in a "casino," which lines up with the casting call posted on the company's page on April 3 seeking an actor to play a "gambler."

"I came the 2nd day (Friday) to see what was happening. At the end of the day I resigned because it was a clear toxic work environment that I was not comfortable putting myself or background artists in," Locke continued. "I will finish out this coming week and someone else will take over. I want to apologize for anything you experienced."

After her signature in the email, she added, "You are all safe - this is a safe place to send your grievances."

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Filming for season 2 of Tulsa King is currently underway in Atlanta. The Paramount+ series sees Stallone as mob member Manfredi who, after being exiled by his former boss to Tulsa, Oklahoma, begins to build his own criminal empire with a new group of unlikely allies.

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