News

Hollywood actress Hilary Swank is refusing to pay a $57 fine for bringing fruit into New Zealand from overseas.

The "Million Dollar Baby" star, who commands a reported $5 million fee per movie, was hit with the penalty in January after customs officers at Auckland airport discovered an apple and an orange in her hand luggage, Internet portal femalefirst reported.

But the star has refused to pay up and has instructed lawyers to contest the fine in New Zealand's Manukau district court. The 30-year-old actress is not the first to fall foul of the island's strict import rules - many tourists are lumbered with on-the-spot fines in a bid to protect foreign pests disrupting the country's delicate eco-system.