Pierce Brosnan pleads guilty to Yellowstone National Park violation, ordered to pay $1,500
Pierce Brosnan's legal troubles in Wyoming are coming to an end.
On Thursday, the "James Bond" star, 70, entered a guilty plea for walking off the designated path in one of Yellowstone National Park's thermal areas in November 2023, according to court documents filed in Wyoming's U.S. District Court and obtained by USA TODAY. Brosnan was issued the violation notice – as well as a second for allegedly violating a closure at Mammoth Hot Springs – on Nov. 1, 2023.
Brosnan was fined $500 for straying off the trail and ordered by a judge to pay $1,000 to the nonprofit organization Yellowstone Forever. The court dismissed his second violation.
The Irish actor and his lawyer appeared virtually at the arraignment Thursday morning. He previously pleaded not guilty to both violations in January, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Brosnan for comment.
Brosnan took to Instagram on Thursday to apologize for his misstep.
"As an environmentalist I have the utmost respect for and love of our natural world. However, I made an impulsive mistake - one that I do not take lightly - when entering a thermal area covered in snow in Yellowstone National Park to take a photograph," he wrote in the post's caption. "I did not see a 'No Trespassing' sign posted that warned of danger nor did I hike in the immediate area."
He added: "I deeply regret my transgression and offer my heartfelt apologies to all for trespassing in this sensitive area. Yellowstone and all our National Parks are to be cared for and preserved for all to enjoy."
Yellowstone National Park's website instructs visitors to "always walk on boardwalks and designated trails," as the areas help protect walkers and the "delicate thermal formations." Additionally, water from the hot springs can cause "severe or fatal burns" upon contact.
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According to IMDBPro, Brosnan was filming the upcoming Richard Gray film "The Unholy Trinity" – which also stars Samuel L. Jackson and David Arquette – in Montana, a few hours north of the national park, around the time of the incident.
Brosnan's last appearance as James Bond was in 2002's "Die Another Day," after which Daniel Craig took the helm as 007 between 2006 to 2021, beginning with "Casino Royale" and ending with "No Time to Die. In 2022, Brosnan officially entered the DC Universe with the Dwayne Johnson-starring "Black Adam," in which he played Kent Nelson.
In "Black Adam," the magical gold Helmet of Nabu transforms Nelson into Dr. Fate, a character Brosnan proudly boasted is “the most powerful sorcerer in the pantheon of superheroes" in an October 2022 interview with USA TODAY.