Hollywood stars try to circumvent isolation rules when entering New Zealand

Hollywood stars Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons had to live in the slums with the hoi polloi in a five-star hotel in Auckland after requests to isolate themselves on a secluded rural property were rejected.

That requested exception, which was presented as a decisive agreement to bring the powerful couple to New Zealand, would have been in addition to the one already granted to allow them to enter New Zealand, at a time when virtually all foreigners were prohibited due to Covid-19 border restrictions.

The additional exception would have meant that they served their two weeks of administered isolation on an isolated rural property rather than a five-star hotel in Auckland where the rest of the imported crew were located.

Questions to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Mbie) to clarify whether the special exemption was granted were referred to the Ministry of Health, which cited privacy concerns in its refusal to respond.

However, an interview Dunst gave to Variety The magazine, in which it spoke of the challenges of “having a 2-year-old in a hotel room for two weeks, showed that they stayed in the hotel, even though there was talk that they could not come to New Zealand if they had to. “

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The married couple came to New Zealand to star in Jane Campion’s film Power of the dog.

Documents provided by Mbie under the Official Information Act show that co-producer Chloe Smith was leading the charge to get the couple out of the SO / Auckland hotel stay and rural property.

“In order for Ms. Dunst and Mr. Plemons to embark on their journey to New Zealand, they must be guaranteed the highest standards of privacy,” Smith’s request said.

“There is great public interest in Ms. Dunst and Mr. Plemons and their activities.

“Paparazzi photographers follow her regularly and articles have been published about her activities in New Zealand.”

He cited a Stuff article from almost two months earlier about the couple dining at an Oamaru restaurant, as well as a Herald of New Zealand article from the same period, also about them being in Oamaru.

“We will not be able to give them a guarantee of privacy, and therefore we will not be able to complete the film, if they are asked to isolate themselves under controlled conditions,” Smith wrote.

That request was sent on May 21, six hours after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) said that the request of the couple and their son could not be honored.

“Managed isolation must take place in a facility (hotel) that already has comprehensive health and safety services,” said Mfat’s denial letter.

That email stated that the crew were staying at the So hotel in Auckland, which was a “recently opened five-star hotel located in Auckland’s financial district.”

The exchange came a week after producers were told that Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford had granted permission for 16 “essential” workers to enter New Zealand for the film.

That was with the understanding that they went through controlled isolation or quarantine in an approved facility and all costs were covered by the film company.

The documentation shows that Dunst, Plemons and their son had wanted to stay in an “isolated rural property” instead of the hotel. It was the same place where they had spent time during the previous New Zealand shutdown.

The couple had returned to Los Angeles after the initial shutdown.