Hollywood muscleman actor Sylvester Stallone pleaded guilty Tuesday to bringing 52 vials of testosterone and a banned human growth hormone into Australia, saying he needed them for a medical condition.
The 60-year-old star of the "Rocky" and "Rambo" series admitted possessing the body-building drugs on a visit to Sydney in February, and apologised for breaking the law, his lawyer Philip Boulten told a local court.
Boulten said Stallone had been taking both substances under supervision for a medical condition, which was not revealed in court.
"This is not some back-alley body builder dealing covertly with some banned substance in some sort of secret way," he said.
"This was a legitimate medical condition being treated by doctors of the top ranking order in the west coast of the United States."
Stallone, who had been in Australia promoting his latest boxing film "Rocky Balboa," was excused from appearing at the hearing. Plans for him to appear by videolink were dropped.
The maximum fine for the offence is 110,000 dollars (91,600 US dollars) but Stallone faces a top penalty of just 22,000 dollars because the case was dealt with in a local court.
He will be sentenced next Monday.
Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court heard that Stallone was caught with 48 vials of human growth hormone Jintropin at Sydney airport and later with four vials of testosterone, a male hormone used to improve muscle mass.
The movie actor-director was mortified and apologised for his misconduct, Boulten told the court, saying the incident had caused Stallone "a great deal of discomfort."
"His apology to the court is an apology in broad terms, meant to convey both to the general public, the community, and to the justice system itself, his regret at having been involved in his possession of the substances in contravention of Australian laws."
Boulten said Stallone had not known he was breaking Australian law, but prosecutor John Agius said he had shown "consciousness of guilt" by throwing the vials of testosterone out of his hotel window.
Describing the star as a role model who was highly regarded by millions of people, Boulten said Stallone opposed the use of illegal drugs.
The key ingredient in the growth hormone is somatropin, advertised on the Internet as enhancing sexual performance, reducing body fat, removing wrinkles, boosting muscle mass and for the "re-generation of major organs that shrink with age."
After being intercepted at the airport, Stallone insisted the items seized by customs were not steroids, telling reporters that "it's something that I've taken for years" and "it's not dangerous."
The first instalment of his "Rocky" series was a huge hit in 1976, winning best picture and director Oscar awards and establishing a franchise that would go on to gross nearly 450 million dollars.
But when the ageing star pulled on the gloves once more for "Rocky Balboa", movie experts questioned whether Stallone was stretching credibility too far, even by Hollywood's elastic standards.
He did not attempt to sidestep the issue of his advanced years in publicity for the film, calling the movie a bruising statement against "ageism."
"Just because people get older doesn't mean they abandon their dream or their ability to want to do something, so Rocky is symbolic of still wanting to participate," Stallone told reporters in Los Angeles.
"I want to show that life is not over at 50. People say, 'Come on, grow old gracefully.' No, why? I'm not ready."
