Pierce Brosnan Pleads Guilty to Entering Restricted Area of Yellowstone, Apologizes for 'Impulsive Mistake'

The ‘James Bond’ actor, who initially pleaded not guilty in January after receiving citations for entering the thermal area, will be fined $1,500

• Pierce Brosnan has pleaded guilty to entering protected and dangerous areas at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming 

• The actor initially pleaded not guilty in January after receiving citations for trespassing in December 

• As a result of the new plea, Brosnan is also being fined $1,500 

• The citations came after Brosnan shared a seemingly since-deleted photo of him posing on the snow-covered crust that appeared to be one of the park’s thermal features 

Pierce Brosnan has pleaded guilty for trespassing into protected and potentially dangerous areas at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

The actor, 70, who had previously entered a not guilty plea, has been ordered to pay a fine totaling of $1,500 for the transgression, according to court documents filed on Thursday and obtained by PEOPLE.

Brosnan will pay a $500 fine and a community service donation of $1,000 to Yellowstone Forever, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the park. He attended the court hearing by phone, per the documents.

Related: Pierce Brosnan Cited for Allegedly Entering Protected Yellowstone Park Thermal Areas

Following the hearing, Brosnan shared an official statement on Instagram.

“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.”

He continues, “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. #StayOnThePath”

In Dec. 2023, the Mamma Mia! star was cited in Wyoming for entering the national park’s protected thermal areas. The citations came after the actor posed for a seemingly since-deleted photo shared by TMZ in which he’s standing on snow-covered crust that appears to be one of the park’s thermal features.

Brosnan first received the petty offense citations on Nov. 1 for traveling by foot “in all thermal areas and w/in Yellowstone Canyon confined to trails" and “violating closures and use limits,” according to a criminal docket filed in the U.S. District Court in Wyoming in December.

The actor pleaded not guilty to the park’s allegations that he entered the dangerous and restricted area in January, per additional court documents.

Related: Pierce Brosnan Pleads Not Guilty to Charges That He Trespassed on Delicate Thermal Area in Yellowstone

Five types of hydrothermal features are included in the park, including hot springs, geysers, mudpots, travertine terraces and fumaroles, per Yellowstone National Park’s official site.

The park warns visitors that it’s imperative to respect all safety guidelines as the ground below the thermal areas “may be only a thin crust above boiling hot springs,” and it is not confirmed which of those areas are safe or not.

Visitors must also remain on the established walking pathways because the “pools are acidic enough to burn through boots."

Related: 12 Shows Like Yellowstone to Watch Now

Brosnan’s new movie The Unholy Trinity is what initially brought him to the Wyoming national park in October. Filming for the Western mostly takes place at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Paradise Valley, according to The Livingston Enterprise.

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While the actor was in the Wyoming part of the park when he posed for those photos, the park also extends into parts of Montana and Idaho.

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