Pierce Brosnan has told Indian authorities that he was conned by a mouth freshener company that had employed him to promote its brand.
The former 007 star had been asked to explain why he was in an ad for Pan Bahar, which is linked with an addictive form of tobacco.
Brosnan said the company, Ashok & Co, neglected to inform him about the toxic nature of the product, a senior official said, as reported in The India Times.
Delhi health official SK Arora said that in his written response to the government, Brosnan had also assured them that his association with the brand was over and agreed to help further efforts against similar campaigns in the future.
Delhi government issues notice to #PierceBrosnan over a paan masala advertisement https://t.co/ER7tFVCh3n pic.twitter.com/8GELTurPyf
— scroll.in (@scroll_in) February 14, 2018
The former Bond actor had condemned the "unauthorised" use of his image in the ad for Pan Bahar in 2016, soon after it first appeared. His appearance in the advertisement had outraged many Indians who questioned why he was endorsing a product associated with cancer.
Brosnan told People magazine that the contract was to advertise a single product - a "breath freshener/tooth whitener" that contained no "tobacco" or "harmful ingredient".
Despite the Irish actor's objections, the ad continues to be aired on Indian TV and in cinemas.
The firm has so far not reacted to the actor's statement, but told the BBC in 2016 there was no tobacco in the product. Indian law prohibits all advertisements of tobacco products.
Pan Bahar is commonly associated with pan masala and gutka, a potent mixture of tobacco, crushed betel nut, lime, and clove among other ingredients. It is chewed by millions of people, who become addicted to its mildly psychotropic effects.
Both pan masala and gutka have been linked to cancer, with many Indian states banning their sale and running campaigns to discourage people from buying them.
