Sylvester Stallone finally buys his own 'Rocky' statue

It's been 35 years since Sylvester Stallone commissioned the famous Rocky statue that stands at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. But now, Sly finally has his own identical version — all nine feet and 1,800 pounds of it.

Stallone, 71, recently won an auction for the original statue's backup, paying more than $400,000, according to TMZ. It's one of two he commissioned from artist A. Thomas Schomberg in 1982 for the release of Rocky III.

The backup statue had been housed at the San Diego Hall of Champions, which recently closed,  prompting an auction for its collection of memorabilia last month by SCP Auctions.  SCP confirmed online that the statue sold for $403,657 but did not indicate who won. TMZ reported that "a source connected to the auction" confirmed it was Stallone.

On Christmas Day, Stallone posted a picture to Instagram of himself and fellow action star Arnold Schwarzenegger posing in front of the statue in Stallone's home, with a caption that read, "Well look who drop [sic] by on Christmas! @schwarzenegger always fills the room with positive energy!":

Reports of Stallone's interest in buying the backup surfaced in October, when his wife, Jennifer Flavin, told TMZ she wanted it. At the time, the piece was valued at about $1 million, so $400,000 is something of a steal.

Stallone is about to start production on Creed II, expected to be  released on Nov. 21. Stallone wrote the script with Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. He was also initially slated to direct but was recently replaced by The Land director Steven Caple Jr.

For those who want their own version (and have the cash to spend), a third identical statue is available. According to fan site TotalRocky, Schomberg Studios created a third statue in 2006, more than two decades after Rocky III's release, which the studio indicates online is for sale.

Since last month, Stallone has faced accusations of sexual assault. Most recently, a woman accused him of raping her in a Santa Monica office in the early 1990s, which is beyond the statute of limitations in California. Police are investigating.

Stallone's representatives have denied the claim, saying the actor "wants to file a claim against the woman for filing a false police report."

Another woman last month accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 1986, when she was 16. Stallone's representatives also denied that claim.

"This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone," they said in a statement. "At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter. It never happened."