Back in January Pierce Brosnan pleaded not guilty to two charges of trespassing in a thermal spring area of Yellowstone National Park. It was a bold choice for Bond, considering there was photographic evidence of him standing in the restricted zone, that local Instagram account @touronsofyellowstone (tourist + moron = touron) posted for posterity/penalty. It seems Pierce decided not to lie another day; he’s now switched to a guilty plea, agreed to pay two separate fines, and issued an apology on his own Instagram account. “Bad. My Bad.”
Pierce Brosnan is apologizing after pleading guilty to foot travel in a thermal area during a recent trip to Yellowstone National Park.
“As an environmentalist I have the utmost respect for and love of our natural world,” the former James Bond actor, 70, shared in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“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 continued, adding that he didn’t see a “no trespassing” sign to warn him of danger and noted that he did not hike in the area.
Brosnan ended his post by saying, “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.”
The “Mamma Mia!” actor was fined $500, required to pay $1000 to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Fund and cited other fines by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick on March 14 in Mammoth, Wyoming, according to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Brosnan pleaded guilty to foot travel in a thermal area within a Yellowstone National Park thermal feature at Mammoth Hot Springs after, according to court documents cited in the press release. He posted photos to Instagram on or about Nov. 1, 2023, of him standing in an off-limits area.
“There are signs posted in the area that warn visitors of the dangers of thermal features and state that visitors must remain on the designated boardwalks and trails,” the press release said. “The National Park Service (NPS) reminds Yellowstone visitors that the ground in thermal areas is fragile and thin, and scalding water is just below the surface.”
“Therefore, trespassing on thermal features in dangerous and can
harm delicate natural resources within the park,” the press release continued, adding that the park was “established primarily to protect these hydrothermal areas” and NPS encouraged visitors to “exercise extreme caution” and remain in designated paths while exploring these areas.
He’s an environmentalist! He definitely wouldn’t have trespassed if he’d only seen the posted signs! That LOL aside, I think Pierce is handling himself well here. He’s fessing up for his messing up, and sounds pretty sincere to me. He just should have been doing this from the beginning. Pierce originally going with a not guilty plea was his most inexplicable decision since he voluntarily accepted a singing role — twice! And when all was said and done, Pierce only has to pay $1,500. I think he can afford that. I do kind of love it, though, that dashing, world-traveled movie star Pierce Brosnan was put in his place by… the state of Wyoming. “No, Mr. Bond. We expect you NOT to die from crashing through the surface into scalding hot water.”
Photos via Instagram and credit Getty Images for Netflix/The Out-Laws
Glad he made things right; the ‘not guilty’ plea was not a good move. Still a mensch in my book.
Dumb move but omg still hotter than the thermal springs
He was my first crush and omg he still has that it quality.
He will ALWAYS be Remington Steele to me. Yes, I’m that old. 🙂
You and me too, sister!
Came here to say this. Remington Steele for life. I last saw it in reruns in high school almost 30 years ago, does anyone know if it still holds up?
I do think Remington Steele holds up. I started rewatching episodes on cable and the first few seasons were brilliantly written with Laura Holt as a extremely smart and successful businesswoman. (Let’s not talk about the later seasons). The chemistry between Pierce and Stephanie just was the icing on the cake.
Ditto re Remington Steele!
Criminal defense lawyer here (and long-time lurker sometimes poster). Pleading “not guilty” at the court appearance is pretty much the norm and doesn’t necessarily mean he was trying to escape accountability. Maybe it’s different in the federal system but I doubt it. Prosecutors and defense attorneys rarely have time to figure out pleas, evidence, or anything by arraignment. Even when scum bags like Trump plead not guilty I always think the media makes too big a deal out of it at the first hearing.
I interned at a prosecutor’s office during law school. I can confirm that a not guilty plea at arraignment is what happens 99% of the time. Any defense attorney worth their salt will need to review the government’s evidence first before advising their client to plea guilty. Then, the attorneys have to negotiate a plea. In fact, in the state I worked in, the judge just automatically entered a not guilty plea for the defendants at arraignment.
I really think anyone covering the criminal justice system should have some basic literacy about the procedures involved. It’s a shame most people don’t understand something so simple.
@Defense @Marirose – Thanks for your experience and explainers about automatic, default type position taken at initial court appearance. That said, however, this has forever cemented Mr. Remington Steele in my mind as a worm. Anybody who’s ever been to geologically active U.S. national park (Lassen, Yellowstone) should know to stay on the path. Fake “environmentalist” has clogged the court system with his idiocy. So what if he finally fessed up and paid the fine? That’s far less than he could have done as an “environmentalist.”
Thank you both, that’s helpful context.
He’s still SO HOT. Forever crush.
He’s a Trump supporter and endorsed RFK jr so he’s dead to me.
Ick. But bring on the RFK support. Maybe that will split Trump’s vote with some who find Trump objectionable and Biden too “woke” going for RFK.
RFK is not going to split the Trump vote – he is being served up specifically to split the Biden vote. Honestly, John Kasich should have taken one for the team in 2016. If only he or some other semi-legit Republican would do their patriotic duty and run as a spoiler this year but they won’t because they know they would be as reviled in their party as Ralph Nader or Ross Perot.
He may be served up to split the Biden vote, but I highly doubt that he will do that. They thing everyone will be blinded by the name Kennedy without paying attention to anything he’s said.
Oh vomit and just like that my childhood crush is dead
RFK lives near him and that may be why. He is part of the community but even RFK’s sister who also lives here – is saying NO to voting for him and was pictured w Biden yesterday. Don’t think Pierce is a Trump supporter but RFK has weird supporters around these parts including some liberal anti vaxxers. I hope most people see through the RFK ruse to siphon off Biden voters. A vote for any third party is a vote for Trump
This is a great line, Kismet: “It seems Pierce decided not to lie another day;…”!😂
It’s seems like a lot of- he’s cute, we forgive him.
Eh. Seems like an entitled jackass who has moved through his whole life assuming the rules don’t apply to him and never being held accountable for being sh*tty.
What a tool.
He should be happy to have survived the experience, since some do not. And he should be offering to pay even more than the fine into funding for the park to prove how sincere he is.
I’m not sure how sincere he is when his first sentence in his “apology” was a lie. Not to mention, the first thing he did was lie about the whole incident .
Sam Neill is the thinking man’s Pierce Brosnan anyway.
That’s definitely the action of someone who feels the rules don’t apply to them. The National Park Service is clear about boundaries, rules, and environmental impact. He ignored that.