Former 'James Bond' actor Pierce Brosnan 'deeply' sorry after being fined for entering a restricted area of Yellowstone

• Pierce Brosnan has pleaded guilty to stepping into an off-limits part of Yellowstone National Park.
• The "James Bond" actor previously said he was not guilty.

Former "James Bond" actor Pierce Brosnan has been fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to stepping off a trail in a thermal area during a visit to Yellowstone National Park last year.

As Business Insider previously reported, federal prosecutors in Wyoming brought criminal charges against Brosnan, 70, after he went into the Mammoth Terraces hot springs area of the historic park in November.

According to court documents, those areas in the park are off-limits to tourists due to the dangers of thermal features, which can reach boiling temperatures.

There are signs posted in the area that tell visitors to remain on the designated boardwalks and trails, the documents state.

Brosnan initially pleaded not guilty, but in an Instagram post shared on Friday, he said he "did not see" a sign warning against trespassing, adding that he "made an impulsive mistake."

He added that he was "an environmentalist" and had "the utmost respect for and love of our natural world."

The US Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming said in a press release that Brosnan was fined $500 for the transgression and that he was also required to pay $1,000 to the nonprofit organization Yellowstone Forever Geological Fund.

Brosnan got off somewhat lightly, as the US Attorney's Office initially sought to serve him with two years' probation and the maximum fine of $5,000, according to the press release.

"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," Brosnan wrote on Instagram.

A photo that showed Brosnan in sunglasses and a brimmed hat posing by the snow-encrusted springs was uploaded to his Instagram page on November 1, according to court documents.

It has since been deleted but was shared on the Instagram page Tourons Of Yellowstone, an account dedicated to highlighting some of the questionable behavior of visitors who flock to the famed national park each year.

In 2023, around 4.5 million people visited Yellowstone National Park, according to the National Park Service.

The service's website warns that "hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature."

The US Geological Survey says that "just seconds of exposure" to some of the springs "can cause second- and third-degree burns."

"When a large percentage of the human body is so scalded, survival rates are low," it adds.