Pierce Brosnan is in hot water after a recent trip to Yellowstone’s thermal springs (Picture: Instagram)
Pierce Brosnan has pleaded not guilty after allegedly hiking into prohibited areas of a national park.
The James Bond star, 70, is facing two charges over allegations he entered restricted areas of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming which are closed to the public.
He is accused of hiking into a thermal area and into the Mammoth Terraces hot springs, which are both delicate ecosystems – and extremely dangerous, with people having died previously by falling into boiling water.
The initial court docket had labelled the charges as a ‘petty offence,’ with Pierce now pleading not guilty via paper filing, and pleading for the court case to be dropped.
He was due to appear in court on January 23, but according to local outlet CowboyStateDaily his application to cancel the hearing was granted by a judge, and is now set to be a virtual conference on February 20.
The status conference is held to prepare both parties for a trial, after the US Attorney for Wyoming cited the Irish actor on December 26 over alleged offences on November 1.
The actor has pleaded not guilty to entering two restricted areas of the park (Picture: Getty)
Consequences for the Mamma Mia star’s alleged offence could be serious, and if found guilty of wandering into restricted areas in Yellowstone, visitors can be jailed for up to six months and face fines of up to $5,000 (£3,905).
Since the 1800s, at least 20 people have died in thermal areas in Yellowstone National Park and in November 2022 the foot of a dead man from Los Angeles was found floating in one of the park’s hot springs.
Park bosses urge visitors on the Yellowstone website to stay safe by following the designated boardwalks and trails, which they emphasise have been laid out to ‘protect you and delicate thermal formations’.
Certain areas of the park are closed off to the public, in part due to how dangerous they are (Picture: Getty)
Trespassers can face huge fines and even jail time (Picture: Getty)
It comes after the actor threatened legal action over ‘false’ news circulated he was charging £500 for a meet-and-greet with fans.
Reports had emerged the Navan-born star was due to exhibit artwork at the SMS Art Gallery in Nottingham in December, but he immediately hit out to set the rumours straight.
‘Reports that the SMS Art Gallery has been engaged to host an exhibition are false. I would never charge for a meet and greet,’ he wrote in a message online.
‘My attorney has contacted the gallery and sent a cease and desist letter.’
He added that he ‘looks forward to having an exhibition in the UK in the future and, when the time comes, you will hear from me.’
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The Bond star is in hot water.