Elizabeth Hurley has been fined $100,000 (£67,000) by a US actor's union for crossing a picket line to film an advert for the cosmetics company, Estee Lauder.

The 35-year-old actress apologised to the Screen Actors Guild after crossing the line in July and gave a £17,000 donation to the strike fund. But in a disciplinary ruling this week, the union decided that Ms Hurley should pay a further £50,000 fine, making it one of the highest levies it has imposed.

Although "deeply disappointed," the actress said she would not dispute the decision. "I hope that by paying the fine rather than appealing the decision I will be helping families of guild members," she said.

The five-month strike, upheld by some 135,000 guild members, banned performers from making US advertisements until the flat-rate fee system which decides their pay, was replaced by a more advantageous one of repeat royalties.

Union officials estimate that 80% of its members earn less than £4,000 a year and it called on Hollywood's richest actors to support the strike.

While Tom Hanks led a rally in Los Angeles, Nicolas Cage donated $200,000, and Harrison Ford gave $100,000, the strike was broken by some of America's biggest stars.

Tiger Woods filmed a Buick commercial and was fined $50,000, a sum Hurley has called "strange" in light of the size of her penalty. She said she never received the official strike notification sent out by the union to members living abroad. During the disciplinary hearing, strike officials admitted to having sent out notices with inadequate postage for the UK.

In October, Hurley was heckled at the Los Angeles premiere of Bedazzled, when 200 protesters turned out waving placards that read "beauty fades, honour doesn't," and "Elizabeth Scabley, you make me hurl".