Pierce Brosnan is very sorry he walked on the wrong part of Yellowstone
Brosnan was forced to pay $1,500 in fines and mandatory donations after being convicted of trespassing today, and is very sorry
Pierce Brosnan was convicted of trespassing today, after pleading guilty to charges of leaving the trail in a thermal area at Yellowstone National Park back in November of 2023. Brosnan was ordered to pay a $500 fine, plus make a $1,000 donation to nonprofit Yellowstone Forever, which helps support the park. He also made a post on Instagram this afternoon, formally apologizing for the act.
And, can we just say? In an era of never-ending, self-serving Notes app apologies that seek to reframe, re-spin, and apologize to “anyone who was actually offended,” it’s so incredibly nice to read an apology like Brosnan’s, which is clearly, unreservedly contrite. He knows he wasn’t supposed to walk there! He regrets walking there! He will not walk there in future!
Like, get a load of this genuine expression of remorse:
As an environmentalist I have the utmost respect for and love of our natural world. 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. 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
Meanwhile, if you’re feeling a disconnect from humanity today, go ahead and give yourself 10 minutes to scroll through the replies to Brosnan’s comment, which, like any number of Instagram reactions to a celebrity saying something relatively banal like this, make up a sort of Rorschach test for the human animal. There are people suggesting our world leaders could learn from Brosnan’s humility; those condemning him for lying about not seeing the trespassing sign; one that first accepts Brosnan’s apology “on behalf of America,” and then tells him he should play James Bond again. (We will carefully tiptoe past the one from the obsessive Remington Steele fan suggesting he come visit her to make up for his crime, but respectfully.) What wonders have we all received, from Pierce Brosnan having to pay a $1,500 fine because he didn’t see a sign in a national park one time and then took pictures of it, which is what ultimately got him caught? What beauties doth nature truly hold.
[via WAMU]