Pierce Brosnan has held his hands up to an “impulsive mistake” during a hike in Yellowstone.
The 70-year-old actor pleaded guilty this week as he was called into a court hearing for stepping off a trail in a thermal area in Yellowstone National Park last November.
As a result, Brosnan was fined $500 and ordered to make a $1,000 donation to the non-profit organisation Yellowstone Forever which supports the park.
The former James Bond star took to Instagram to explain the situation, as well as to publicly apologise for his actions, in view of his two million followers.
“As an environmentalist, I have the utmost respect for and love of our natural world”, he wrote.
“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. I did not see a ‘No Trespassing’ sign posted that warned of danger nor did I hike in the immediate area.”
Read more: Next James Bond – Pierce Brosnan announces his choice to replace Daniel Craig
Brosnan continued: “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.”
According to the citations, Brosnan walked in an off-limits area of Mammoth Terraces, the northern part of Yellowstone, on November 1, 2023.
He was making a personal visit to the park, rather than attending to film any projects, the US Attorney’s Office of Wyoming explained.
There are hundreds of thermal features around the park, with Mammoth Terraces home to mineral-encrusted hot springs.
Straying from the designated areas can be dangerous with reportedly millions of Yellowstone visitors every year getting badly burned by ignoring the warnings.
On the National Park Service’s website, it reads: “Boardwalks and trails protect you and delicate thermal formations.
“Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns, and scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs.”
US Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick dismissed a second petty offence of violating closures and use limits in court.
Brosnan has until April 1 to pay the $1,500, according to the court records.
As well as the iconic role of James Bond, the Irish actor is best known for Remington Steele, Mrs Doubtfire and the Mamma Mia! franchise.