Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient ofmultiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role asMax Rockatansky in the first three films of thepost-apocalyptic seriesMad Max (1979–1985) and asMartin Riggs in thebuddy cop seriesLethal Weapon (1987–1998).
After several legal issues and controversial statements leaked to the public, Gibson's popularity in Hollywood declined, affecting his career. He subsequently starred inEdge of Darkness (2010) andJodie Foster'sThe Beaver (2011). His directorial comeback after an absence of 10 years,Hacksaw Ridge (2016), won twoAcademy Awards.
Early life and education
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson[1] was born inPeekskill, New York,[2] on January 3, 1956[3] into a family ofIrish American descent, as the sixth of 11 children, and the second son ofHutton Gibson, a writer, and Irish-born Anne Patricia (née Reilly, died 1990).[2][4] Gibson's paternal grandmother was opera contraltoEva Mylott (1875–1920), who was born in Australia to Irish parents,[5] while his paternal grandfather, John Hutton Gibson, was a millionaire tobacco businessman from theSouthern United States.[6][7] One of Gibson's younger brothers,Donal, is also an actor. Gibson's first name is derived fromSt Mel's Cathedral, situated in his mother's hometown ofLongford.[8] His second name,Colmcille,[9] is also shared with an Irish saint.[10]
Gibson's father was awarded US$145,000 in a work-related-injury lawsuit against theNew York Central Railroad on February 14, 1968 (equivalent to $1,311,105 in 2024), and soon afterwards relocated his family toWest Pymble, Sydney, Australia.[11] Gibson was 12 years old at the time. The move to his grandmother's native Australia was both financial and a way to avoid thedraft of his eldest brother during theVietnam War.[12]
Gibson gained favorable notices from film critics when he first entered the cinematic scene, as well as comparisons to several classic movie stars. In 1982,Vincent Canby wrote that "Mr. Gibson recalls the youngSteve McQueen... I can't define 'star quality,' but whatever it is, Mr. Gibson has it."[15] Gibson has also been likened to "a combination ofClark Gable andHumphrey Bogart."[16] Gibson's roles in theMad Max series of films,Peter Weir'sGallipoli (1981), and theLethal Weapon series of films earned him the label of "action hero".[17]
While a student atNIDA, Gibson made his film debut in the 1977 filmSummer City, for which he was paid $400.[23] Gibson then played the title character in the filmMad Max (1979). He was paid $9000 for this role. Shortly after making the film, he did a season with theSouth Australian Theatre Company. During this period, he shared a $30 a week apartment inAdelaide with his future wife Robyn Moore. AfterMad Max, Gibson played a mentally slow youth in the filmTim (also 1979).[24] Gibson also appeared in Australian television series guest roles. He appeared in serialThe Sullivans as naval lieutenant Ray Henderson,[25] inpolice proceduralCop Shop,[24] and in the pilot episode of prison serialPunishment which was produced in 1980, screened 1981.[26][27]
Gibson joined the cast of theWorld War II action filmAttack Force Z, which was not released until 1982 when Gibson had become a bigger star. DirectorPeter Weir cast Gibson as one of the leads in theWorld War I dramaGallipoli (1981), which earned Gibson another Best Actor Award from theAustralian Film Institute.[28]Gallipoli also helped to earn Gibson the reputation of a serious, versatile actor and gained him the Hollywood agentEd Limato. The sequelMad Max 2 (1982) was his first hit in America, where it was released asThe Road Warrior. Gibson again received positive notices for his role inPeter Weir's romantic thrillerThe Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Following a one-year hiatus from film acting after the birth of his twin sons, Gibson took on the role ofFletcher Christian inThe Bounty (1984). Gibson earned his first million dollar salary for playingMax Rockatansky for the third time, inMad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).[29][30]
Gibson's popularity declined after he had made some controversial statements.[35]
While promotingSigns, Gibson said that he no longer wanted to be a movie star and would only act in film again if the script were truly extraordinary. In 2010, Gibson appeared inEdge of Darkness, which marked his first starring role since 2002[36] and was an adaptation of the BBC miniseries,Edge of Darkness.[37] In June of the same year, Gibson was inBrownsville, Texas, filming scenes for the filmGet the Gringo, about a career criminal put in a tough prison in Mexico.[38]
In 2010, following an outburst at his ex-girlfriend that was made public, Gibson was dropped from the talent agency ofWilliam Morris Endeavor.[39] Gibson was lined up for a small role inThe Hangover Part II but he was removed from the film after the cast and crew objected to his involvement.[40]
After his success in Hollywood with theLethal Weapon series, Gibson began to move into producing and directing. With partnerBruce Davey, Gibson formedIcon Productions in 1989 in order to makeHamlet.[42]
In late 1996, New Zealand producerTimothy White became founding head of a co-production venture between Fox and Gibson,[43] called Fox-Icon, based atFox Studios Australia inSydney. The company failed to produce a single film, shutting down in December 1999.[44]
Gibson has produced a number of projects for television, including a biopic onthe Three Stooges and the 2008PBS documentaryCarrier. Icon has grown from being just a production company to also be an international distribution company and film exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand.[45]
According toRobert Downey Jr., studio executives encouraged Gibson in 1989 to try directing, an idea he rebuffed at the time.[47] Gibson made his directorial debut in 1993 withThe Man Without a Face, followed two years later byBraveheart, which earned Gibson theAcademy Award for Best Director. Gibson had long planned to direct a remake ofFahrenheit 451, but in 1999 the project was indefinitely postponed because of scheduling conflicts.[48] Gibson was scheduled to direct Robert Downey Jr. in a Los Angeles stage production ofHamlet in January 2001, but Downey's drug relapse ended the project.[49] In 2002, while promotingWe Were Soldiers andSigns to the press, Gibson mentioned that he was planning to pare back on acting and return to directing.[50] In September 2002, Gibson announced that he would direct a film calledThe Passion inAramaic andLatin with no subtitles because he hoped to "transcend language barriers with filmic storytelling".[51]
In 2004, he released the controversial filmThe Passion of the Christ, with subtitles, which he co-wrote, co-produced, and directed. The film went on to become the highest-grossing rated R film at the time with $370,782,930 in U.S. box office sales.[52] Gibson directed a few episodes ofComplete Savages for theABC network. In 2006, he directed the action-adventure filmApocalypto, his second film to feature sparse dialogue in a non-English language. The next two films he directed wereHacksaw Ridge (2016) andFlight Risk (2025).
Gibson has expressed an intention to direct a movie set during theViking Age, starringLeonardo DiCaprio. LikeThe Passion of the Christ andApocalypto, he wants this speculative film to feature dialogue in period languages.[53] However, DiCaprio ultimately opted out of the project.[54] In a 2012 interview, Gibson announced that the project, which he has titledBerserker, was still moving forward.[55]
In 2011, it was announced that Gibson had commissioned a screenplay fromJoe Eszterhas about theMaccabees. The film is to be distributed byWarner Brothers Pictures. The announcement generated significant controversy.[56] In April 2012, Eszterhas wrote a letter to Gibson accusing him of sabotaging their film about the Maccabees because he "hates Jews", and cited a series of private incidents during which he allegedly heard Gibson express extremely racist views. Although written as a private letter, it was subsequently published on a film industry website.[57] In response, Gibson stated that he still intends to make the film, but will not base it upon Eszterhas's script, which he called substandard.[58] Eszterhas then claimed his son had secretly recorded a number of Gibson's alleged "hateful rants".[59] In a 2012 interview, Gibson explained that the Maccabees film was still in preparation. He explained that he was drawn to the Biblical account of the uprising due to its similarity to theAmerican Old West genre.[55]
Gibson in 2007
In June 2016, Gibson announced that he will reunite withBraveheart screenwriterRandall Wallace to make a sequel forThe Passion of the Christ, focusing on theresurrection of Jesus.[60] In early November 2016, Gibson revealed onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert that the sequel's title will beThe Passion of the Christ: Resurrection. He also stated that the project could "probably be three years off" because "it's a big subject".[61] In January 2023, it was reported that the sequel will begin filming later that year.[62] In November 2016, the film criticMatt Zoller Seitz named Gibson "the pre-eminent religious filmmaker in the United States".[63]
In May 2018, it was announced that Gibson would be directing a WWII film titledDestroyer.[64]Destroyer, similar toHacksaw Ridge, will also deal with the Battle of Okinawa in the Pacific Theater, although from a different front. It will be based on the heroic story of the crew belonging toUSSLaffey (DD-724), who defended their ship from 22kamikaze attacks.
Gibson has credited his directors, particularlyGeorge Miller,Peter Weir, andRichard Donner, with teaching him the craft of filmmaking and influencing him as a director. As a director, Gibson sometimes breaks the tension on set by having his actors perform serious scenes wearing a red clown nose.[68]Helena Bonham Carter said, "He has a very basic sense of humor. It's a bit lavatorial and not very sophisticated."[69] Gibson inserted a single frame of himself smoking a cigarette into the 2005 teaser trailer ofApocalypto.[70]
Gibson's screen acting career began in 1976, with a role on the Australian television seriesThe Sullivans. In his career, Gibson has appeared in 63 films, including theMad Max andLethal Weapon film series. In addition to acting, Gibson has also directed six films, includingBraveheart andThe Passion of the Christ; produced 11 films; and written three films. Films either starring or directed by Mel Gibson have earned over US$2.5 billion, in the United States alone.[71][72] Gibson's filmography includes television series, feature films, television films, andanimated films.
Gibson got his breakthrough role as the leather-clad post-apocalyptic survivor inGeorge Miller'sMad Max. The independently financed blockbuster helped to make him an international star. In the United States, the actors' Australian accents were dubbed with American accents.[73] The original film spawned two sequels:Mad Max 2 (known in North America asThe Road Warrior) andMad Max 3 (known in North America asMad Max Beyond Thunderdome). A fourth movie,Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), was made withTom Hardy in the title role.[74]
The 1981Peter Weir filmGallipoli is about a group of young men from rural Western Australia who enlist in theAustralian Imperial Force duringWorld War I. They are sent to invade theOttoman Empire, where they take part in the 1915Gallipoli campaign. During the course of the movie, the young men slowly lose their innocence about the war. The climax of the movie centers on the catastrophic Australian offensive known as theBattle of the Nek.
Peter Weir cast Gibson in the role of Frank Dunne, anIrish-Australian drifter with an intensecynicism about fighting for theBritish Empire. NewcomerMark Lee was recruited to play the idealistic Archy Hamilton after participating in a photo session for the director. Gibson later recalled:
I'd auditioned for an earlier film and he told me right up front, "I'm not going to cast you for this part. You're not old enough. But thanks for coming in, I just wanted to meet you." He told me he wanted me forGallipoli a couple of years later because I wasn't the archetypal Australian. He had Mark Lee, the angelic-looking, ideal Australian kid, and he wanted something of a modern sensibility. He thought the audience needed someone to relate to of their own time.[75]
Gibson later said thatGallipoli is, "Not really a war movie. That's just the backdrop. It's really the story of two young men."
Gibson played a naïve but ambitious journalist oppositeSigourney Weaver andLinda Hunt inPeter Weir's atmospheric 1982 filmThe Year of Living Dangerously, based on the novel of the same name byChristopher Koch. The movie was both a critical and commercial success, and the upcoming Australian actor was heavily marketed byMGM studio. In his review of the film, Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times wrote, "If this film doesn't make an international star of Mr. Gibson, then nothing will. He possesses both the necessary talent and the screen presence."[78] According to John Hiscock ofThe Daily Telegraph, the film did, indeed, establish Gibson as an international talent.[79]
Gibson was initially reluctant to accept the role of Guy Hamilton. "I didn't necessarily see my role as a great challenge. My character was, like the film suggests, a puppet. And I went with that. It wasn't some star thing, even though they advertised it that way."[80] Gibson saw some similarities between himself and the character of Guy. "He's not a silver-tongued devil. He's kind of immature and he has some rough edges and I guess you could say the same for me."[16]
Gibson followed the footsteps ofErrol Flynn,Clark Gable, andMarlon Brando by starring asFletcher Christian in a cinematic retelling of theMutiny on theBounty. The resulting 1984 filmThe Bounty is considered to be the most historically accurate version. However, Gibson has expressed a belief that the film's revisionism did not go far enough. He has stated that his character should have been portrayed as the film'santagonist. He has further praisedAnthony Hopkins's performance as LieutenantWilliam Bligh as the best aspect of the film.[80]
Gibson moved into more mainstream commercial filmmaking with the popularaction comedy film seriesLethal Weapon, which began with the 1987 original. In the films he playedLAPD DetectiveMartin Riggs, a recently widowedVietnam veteran with a death wish and a penchant for violence and gunplay. In the films, he is partnered with a reserved family man namedRoger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and starting with the second film, they're joined by a hyperactive informant named Leo Getz (Joe Pesci). Following the success ofLethal Weapon, directorRichard Donner and principal cast revisited the characters in three sequels,Lethal Weapon 2 (1989),Lethal Weapon 3 (1993), andLethal Weapon 4 (1998). With its fourth installment, theLethal Weapon series embodied "the quintessence of thebuddy cop pic".[81]
The film series has since been rebooted with atelevision adaptation, which aired for three seasons onFOX.
On November 15, 2021, Gibson confirmed that he will direct the fifthLethal Weapon film following the death of directorRichard Donner. "The man who directed all the 'Lethal films', Richard Donner, he was a big guy. He was developing the screenplay and he got pretty far along with it. And he said to me one day, 'Listen kid, if I kick the bucket you will do it.' And I said: 'Shut up.' But he did indeed pass away. But he did ask me to do it and at the time I didn't say anything. He said it to his wife and to the studio and the producer. So I will be directing the fifth one" Gibson said.[82] In June 2024, Gibson confirmed in an interview with theInspire Me podcast that he would direct the fifth installment of the Lethal Weapon franchise and that the film would stay true to Donner's vision and influence.[83][84] Gibson also stated that he and Glover would return to play their respective roles of Riggs and Murtaugh.[85]
Gibson made the unusual transition from action to classical drama, playingWilliam Shakespeare's Danish prince inFranco Zeffirelli'sHamlet. Gibson was cast alongside experiencedShakespearean actorsIan Holm,Alan Bates, andPaul Scofield. He compared working with Scofield to being "thrown into the ring withMike Tyson".[86] Scofield said of Gibson "Not the sort of actor you'd think would make an ideal Hamlet, but he had enormous integrity and intelligence."[87]
In 1995, Gibson directed, produced, and starred inBraveheart, a biographical film of SirWilliam Wallace, a Scottish patriot and resistance fighter who was executed in 1305 for "high treason" against KingEdward I of England. Gibson received twoAcademy Awards,Best Director andBest Picture, for his second directorial effort. In winning the Academy Award for Best Director, Gibson became only the sixth actor-turned-filmmaker to do so.[88]Braveheart helped to revive the film genre of the historical epic; theBattle of Stirling Bridge sequence is considered by critics to be one of the all-time best-directed battle scenes.[89]
The film's depiction of thePrince of Wales as an effeminate homosexual caused the film to be attacked byGay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which was especially enraged by a scene in which King Edward I murders his son's male lover by throwing him out of a castle window.[90]
Gibson, who had previously been reported making several homophobic statements,[91] now replied, "The fact that King Edward throws this character out a window has nothing to do with him being gay ... He's terrible to his son, to everybody."[90]
Gibson asserted that the reason that King Edward I kills his son's lover is because the king is a "psychopath".[92] Gibson also expressed bewilderment that some filmgoers laughed at this murder:
We cut a scene out, unfortunately ... where you really got to know that character (Edward II) and to understand his plight and his pain... But it just stopped the film in the first act so much that you thought, "When's this story going to start?"[93]
Gibson directed, produced, co-wrote, and funded the filmThe Passion of the Christ (2004), which chronicled thepassion and death of Jesus (Jim Caviezel). The film was shot exclusively inAramaic,Latin, andHebrew. Gibson originally intended to release the film without subtitles, but eventually relented for theatrical exhibition. The film sparked divergent reviews, ranging from high praise to criticism of the violence. TheAnti-Defamation League accused Gibson ofantisemitism over the film's unflattering depiction ofCaiaphas and theSanhedrin.
InThe Nation, reviewerKatha Pollitt wrote: "Gibson has violated just about every precept of theconference's own 1988 'Criteria' for the portrayal of Jews in dramatizations of the Passion (no bloodthirsty Jews, no rabble, no use of Scripture that reinforces negative stereotypes of Jews, etc.) ... The priests have big noses and gnarly faces, lumpish bodies, yellow teeth;Herod Antipas and his court are a bizarre collection of oily-haired,epicene perverts. The 'good Jews' look like Italian movie stars (Magdalene actually is an Italian movie star, the lovelyMonica Bellucci); Mary, who would have been around 50 and appeared 70, could pass for a ripe 35."[94]
Among those to defend Gibson wereOrthodox Jewish rabbiDaniel Lapin and radio personalityMichael Medved.[95] Referring to ADL National DirectorAbraham Foxman, Rabbi Lapin said that by callingThe Passion of the Christ antisemitic, "what he is saying is that the only way (for Christians) to escape the wrath of Foxman is to repudiate (their own) faith."[95]
In an interview withThe Globe and Mail, Gibson stated: "If anyone has distorted Gospel passages to rationalize cruelty towards Jews or anyone, it's in defiance of repeatedPapal condemnation. The Papacy has condemned racism in any form... Jesus died for the sins of all times, and I'll be the first on the line for culpability".[96]
Eventually, the continued media attacks began to anger Gibson. After Hutton Gibson's Holocaust denial was used to attack his son's film in print byThe New York Times writerFrank Rich,[97] an enraged Mel Gibson retorted, "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick.... I want to kill his dog."[98][99]
Gibson'sTraditionalist Catholic upbringing was also the target of criticism. In a 2006 interview withDiane Sawyer, Gibson stated that he feels that his "human rights were violated" by the often vitriolic attacks on his person, his family, and his religious beliefs which were sparked byThe Passion.[100]
The film grossed US$611,899,420 worldwide and $370,782,930 in the U.S. alone,[101] surpassing any motion picture starring Gibson.[102] In U.S. box offices, it became the seventh-highest-grossing (at the time) film in history[103] and the highest-grossingR-rated film of all time.[104] The film was nominated for threeAcademy Awards[105] and won thePeople's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture.[106]
Gibson himself has stated that the film is an attempt at making a deliberate point about great civilizations and what causes them to decline and disintegrate. Gibson said, "People think that modern man is so enlightened, but we're susceptible to the same forces—and we are also capable of the same heroism and transcendence."[110][111] This theme is further explored by a quote fromWill Durant, which is superimposed at the very beginning of the film: "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within."
Gibson starred inThe Beaver, a domestic drama about a depressed alcoholic directed by formerMaverick costarJodie Foster.[112]The Beaver premiered at theSouth by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2011. The opening weekend in 22 theaters was considered a flop; it made $104,000 which comes to a per-theater average of $4,745.[113] The film's distributor,Summit Entertainment, had originally planned for a wide release ofThe Beaver for the weekend of May 20, but after the initial box-office returns for the film, the company changed course and decided instead to give the film a "limited art-house run".[114]Michael Cieply ofThe New York Times observed on June 5, 2011, that the film had cleared just about $1 million, making it a certified "flop".[115] Director Jodie Foster opined that the film did not do well with American audiences because it was adramedy, and "very often Americans are not comfortable with [that]".[116]
Before its release, much of the coverage focused on the unavoidable association between the protagonist's issues and Mel Gibson's own well-publicized personal and legal problems (see§ Alcohol abuse and legal issues), including a conviction of battery of his ex-girlfriend.[117] WroteTime magazine, "The Beaver is a somber, sad domestic drama featuring an alcoholic in acute crisis ... It's hard to separate Gibson's true-life story from what's happening onscreen."[118]
The film grossed $164 million worldwide, four times its production costs.[127]
Flight Risk
In May 2023, it was announced that Gibson would direct a film titledFlight Risk, starringMark Wahlberg. Set to be released byLionsgate, the film will star Wahlberg as "a pilot transporting a dangerous criminal for trial."[128] It was later reported that the film had begun shooting inLas Vegas on June 16. Filming was reportedly unaffected by theSAG-AFTRA strike, having been exempted as an independent project.Flight Risk was released in the United States on January 24, 2025.[129]
Gibson met Robyn Denise Moore in 1977,[135] soon after filmingMad Max, inAdelaide, South Australia. At the time, Robyn was a dental nurse and Mel was an unknown actor working for theSouth Australian Theatre Company.[136] On June 7, 1980, Mel and Robyn were married in a Catholic church inForestville, New South Wales.[137] They have one daughter, Hannah (b. 1980, marriedKenny Wayne Shepherd in 2006), and six sons: twins Edward and Christian (b. 1982), William (b. 1985), Louis (b. 1988),Milo (b. 1990), and Thomas (b. 1999); and seven grandchildren as of 2024[update].[138][139]
After 26 years of marriage, Gibson and Robynseparated on July 29, 2006.[140][141] In a 2011 interview, Gibson stated that the separation began the day following his arrest for drunk driving in Malibu.[142] Robyn Gibson filed for divorce on April 13, 2009, citingirreconcilable differences. In a joint statement, the Gibsons declared, "Throughout our marriage and separation we have always striven to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so."[9] The divorce filing followed the March 2009 release of photographs appearing to show him on a beach embracing his live-in girlfriend of one year, Russian songwriter and pianistOksana Grigorieva.[143][144]
The Gibsons' divorce was finalized on December 23, 2011, and the settlement with his ex-wife was said to be the highest in Hollywood history at over $400 million.[145] The couple reportedly did not have aprenuptial agreement; because California is acommunity property state,[146] Robyn Gibson received half of everything her husband had earned during their marriage.[145]
Oksana Grigorieva
In a 2010 interview, Grigorieva stated that, when she first began being wooed by Gibson, she was surprised and only accepted his advances after learning that the actor-director and his wife had been separated for more than 18 months. Grigorieva added, "He wrote me a lot ofpoetry. It was very beautiful, impressionistic, like an edgy, moderniambic pentameter. Mel has a really good grasp of language, he's fantastic with words."[147]
On April 28, 2009, Gibson made a red carpet-appearance with Grigorieva. She had previously had a son with actorTimothy Dalton[148] and gave birth to Gibson's daughter Lucia on October 30, 2009.[149][150][151] By April 2010, Gibson and Grigorieva had split.[152] On June 21, 2010, Grigorieva filed arestraining order against Gibson to keep him away from her and their child. The restraining order was modified the next day regarding Gibson's contact with their child.[153] Gibson obtained a restraining order against Grigorieva on June 25, 2010.[153][154]
Gibson's 2011 mugshot from booking withEl Segundo Police Department[155]
Grigorieva accused Gibson of domestic violence, leading to an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in July 2010.[156][157] On July 9, 2010, some audio recordings of a rant, allegedly directed by Gibson toward Grigorieva, were posted on the internet.[158] The same day Gibson was dropped by his agency, William Morris Endeavor.[158] Gibson's estranged wife Robyn filed a court statement declaring that she never experienced any abuse from Gibson;[159] whileforensic experts have questioned the validity of some of the tapes, Gibson himself did not deny they were accurate at the time.[160] In March 2011, Mel Gibson agreed to pleadno contest to a misdemeanor battery charge.[161] In April 2011, Gibson finally broke his silence about the incident in question. In an interview withDeadline Hollywood, Gibson expressed gratitude to longtime friendsWhoopi Goldberg andJodie Foster, both of whom had spoken publicly in his defense. About the recordings, Gibson said,
I've never treated anyone badly or in a discriminatory way based on their gender, race, religion or sexuality—period. I don't blame some people for thinking that though, from the garbage they heard on those leaked tapes, which have been edited. You have to put it all in the proper context of being in an irrationally, heated discussion at the height of a breakdown, trying to get out of a really unhealthy relationship. It's one terribly awful moment in time, said to one person, in the span of one day and doesn't represent what I truly believe or how I've treated people my entire life.[142]
In the same interview, Gibson stated
I was allowed to end the case and still maintain my innocence. It's called aWest Plea[162] and it's not something that prosecutors normally allow. But in my case, the prosecutors and the judge agreed that it was the right thing to do. I could have continued to fight this for years and it probably would have come out fine. But I ended it for my children and my family. This was going to be such a circus. You don't drag other people in your life through this sewer needlessly, so I'll take the hit and move on.[142]
In August 2011, Gibson settled with Grigorieva, who was awarded $750,000, joint legal custody, and a house inSherman Oaks, California until their daughter Lucia turns 18. In 2013, Grigorieva sued her attorneys, accusing them of advising her to sign a bad agreement, including a term that taking legal action against Gibson would compromise her financial settlement.[163]
Rosalind Ross
As of 2014, Gibson is in a relationship with former champion equestrian vaulter and writerRosalind Ross.[164][165] Ross gave birth to their son, and Gibson's ninth child, Lars Gerard, on January 20, 2017, in Los Angeles.[166]
Investments
Gibson is a property investor, with multiple properties inMalibu, California, several locations in Costa Rica, a private island in Fiji, and properties in Australia.[167][168] In December 2004, Gibson sold his 300 acres (1.2 km2) Australian farm in theKiewa Valley for $6 million.[clarification needed][169] Also in December 2004, Gibson purchasedMago Island in Fiji fromTokyu Corporation of Japan for $15 million. Descendants of the original native inhabitants of Mago, who were displaced in the 1860s, have protested the purchase. Gibson stated it was his intention to retain the pristine environment of the undeveloped island.[170]
In early 2005, he sold his 45,000 acres (180 km2)Montana ranch to a neighbor.[171] In April 2007, he purchased a 400 acres (1.6 km2) ranch in Costa Rica for $26 million, and, in July 2007, he sold his 76 acres (31 ha) Tudor estate inConnecticut (which he purchased in 1994 for $9 million) for $40 million to an unnamed buyer.[172] Also that month, he sold a Malibu property for $30 million that he had purchased for $24 million two years before.[173]
In 2009 he bought a house inSherman Oaks, Los Angeles, built in 2006 to designs inspired by architectFrank Lloyd Wright. He paid $2.4 million for the property, which he bought under a trust, with Vicki Lynn Christianson,COO of his production company Icon Productions, astrustee. He sold the property at a loss in February, for $2.1 million.[175]
Jersey Leaks
Records of Gibson using offshore accounts and business were revealed in the Jersey Leaks, records of more than 20,000 individuals held with the wealth management firm Kleinwort Benson.[176]
Philanthropy
Gibson at the Christmas party for charityMending Kids International in 2007. His former wife Robyn was president of the charity.
Gibson and his former wife have contributed a substantial amount of money to various charities, one of which is Healing the Children. According to Cris Embleton, one of the founders, the Gibsons gave millions to provide lifesaving medical treatment to needy children worldwide.[177][178] They also supported the restoration ofRenaissance artwork[179] and gave millions of dollars toNIDA.[180]
Gibson donated $500,000 to theEl Mirador Basin Project to protect the last tract of virgin rain forest in Central America and to fund archeological excavations in the "cradle of Mayan civilization".[181] In July 2007, Gibson again visited Central America to make arrangements for donations to the indigenous population. Gibson met with Costa Rican PresidentÓscar Arias to discuss how to "channel the funds".[182] During the same month, Gibson pledged to give financial assistance to a Malaysian company named Green Rubber Global for a tire recycling factory located inGallup, New Mexico.[183] While on a business trip to Singapore in September 2007, Gibson donated to a local charity for children with chronic and terminal illnesses.[184] Gibson is also a supporter ofAngels at Risk, a nonprofit organization focusing on education about drug and alcohol abuse among teens.[185]
In a 2011 interview, Gibson said of his philanthropic works, "It gives you perspective. It's one of my faults, you tend to focus on yourself a lot. Which is not always the healthiest thing for your psyche or anything else. If you take a little time out to think about other people, it's good. It's uplifting."[186]
During the filming ofThe Passion of The Christ, he had daily visits from both local priests and priests from the traditionalistInstitute of Christ the King (a non-sedevacantist group infull communion with the Pope) in France.[188]
When asked about the Catholic doctrine ofExtra Ecclesiam nulla salus, Gibson replied, "There is no salvation for those outside the Church ... I believe it. Put it this way. My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am. Honestly. She's ...Episcopalian,Church of England. She prays, she believes in God, she knows Jesus, she believes in that stuff. And it's just not fair if she doesn't make it, she's better than I am. But that is a pronouncement from the chair. I go with it."[98][189] When he was asked whetherJohn 14:6 is an intolerant position, he said that "through themerits of Jesus' sacrifice ... even people who don't know Jesus are able to be saved, butthrough him."[190] Gibson has toldDiane Sawyer that he believes non-Catholics and non-Christians can go toHeaven.[100][191]
Gibson's acquaintance Fr.William Fulco said in 2009 that Gibson denies neither the pope norVatican II; even so, as of 2021, Gibson attended theChurch of the Holy Family, a traditionalist church he founded and funds in Southern California.[192]
In a 1990 interview withBarbara Walters, Gibson said: "God is the only one who knows how many children we should have, and we should be ready to accept them. One can't decide for oneself who comes into this world and who doesn't. That decision doesn't belong to us."[193]
Gibson, in a letter published by Italian Traditionalist Catholic author Aldo Maria Valli, on his website, on 6 July 2024, stated his full support for the recentlyexcommunicated Italian archbishopCarlo Maria Viganò, who he praised as "a modern day Athanasius!", stating that he agreed with him in considering that the"post conciliar church of Vatican II is a counterfeit church", and that "being called a schismatic & being excommunicated byJorge Bergoglio is like a badge of honor when you consider he is a total apostate & expels you from a false institution." He also stated that "I am with you & I hope Bergoglio excommunicates me from his false church also."[194]
Politics
In a July 1995 interview withPlayboy, Gibson said PresidentBill Clinton was a "low-level opportunist" and someone was "telling him what to do". He said that theRhodes Scholarship was established for young men and women who want to strive for a "new world order" and this was a campaign forMarxism.[195] Gibson later backed away from such conspiracy theories saying, "It was like: 'Hey, tell us a conspiracy'... so I laid out this thing, and suddenly, it was like I was talking the gospel truth, espousing all this political shit like I believed in it."[196] In the same 1995Playboy interview, Gibson argued against ordaining women to the priesthood.[197]
In 2004, he publicly spoke out againsttaxpayer-funded embryonicstem-cell research that involves the cloning and destruction of human embryos.[198] In March 2005, he condemned the outcome of theTerri Schiavo case, referring to Schiavo's death as "state-sanctioned murder".[199]
Gibson questioned theIraq War in March 2004.[200] In 2006, Gibson said that the "fearmongering" depicted in his filmApocalypto "reminds me a little ofPresident Bush and his guys."[201] He later said in 2016 that he isanti-war but has an appreciation for the sacrifices made by "warriors".[202]
Gibson complimented filmmakerMichael Moore and his documentaryFahrenheit 9/11 when he and Moore were recognized at the 2005People's Choice Awards.[203] Gibson'sIcon Productions originally agreed to finance Moore's film but later sold the rights toMiramax Films. Moore said that his agentAri Emanuel claimed that "top Republicans" called Gibson to tell him, "don't expect to get more invitations to the White House".[204] Icon's spokesman dismissed this story, saying "We never run from a controversy. You'd have to be out of your mind to think that of the company that just put outThe Passion of the Christ."[205]
In a 2011 interview, Gibson stated:
The whole notion of politics is they always present you with this or this or this. I'll get a newspaper to read between the lines. Why do you have to adhere to prescribed formulas that they have and people argue over them and they're all in a box. And you watchFox clawCNN, and CNN claw Fox. Sometimes I catch a piece of the news and it seems insanity to me. I quietly support candidates. I'm not out there banging a drum for candidates. But I have supported a candidate and it's a whole other world. Once you've been exposed to it, once or twice or however many times, if you know the facts and see how they're presented, it's mind-boggling. It's a very scary arena to be in, but I do vote. I go in there and pull the lever. It's kind of like pulling the lever and watching the trap door fall out from beneath you. Why should we trust any of these people? None of them ever deliver on anything. It's always disappointing.[142]
On January 16, 2025, it was announced bypresident-electDonald Trump that Gibson would serve in a new role as one of three "special ambassadors" toHollywood, sharing the role with fellow actorsJon Voight andSylvester Stallone. Trump stated that he wants these actors to make Hollywood "stronger than ever before" by bringing back business lost to "foreign countries".[212] Trump said that the three would be his "eyes and ears" and he would act on their suggestions, but their duties were not specified.[213]
Gibson was banned from driving inOntario, Canada, for three months in 1984, after rear-ending a car inToronto while under the influence of alcohol.[216] He retreated to his Australian farm for over a year to recover, but he continued to struggle with drinking. Despite this problem, Gibson gained a reputation in Hollywood for professionalism and punctuality such that frequent collaboratorRichard Donner was shocked when Gibson confided that he was drinking five pints of beer for breakfast.[100] Reflecting in 2003 and 2004, Gibson said that despair in his mid-30s led him to contemplate suicide, and he meditated onChrist's Passion to heal his wounds.[100][189][217] He took more time off acting in 1991 and sought professional help.[218] That year, Gibson's attorneys were unsuccessful at blocking theSunday Mirror from publishing what Gibson shared atAA meetings.[219] In 1992, Gibson provided financial support to Hollywood's Recovery Center, saying, "Alcoholism is something that runs in my family. It's something that's close to me. People do come back from it, and it's a miracle."[220]
On August 17, 2006, Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years' probation.[221] He was ordered to attend self-help meetings five times a week for four-and-a-half months and three times a week for the remainder of the first year of his probation. He was also ordered to attend a First Offenders Program and fined $1,300, and his license was restricted for 90 days.[221]
In February 2008, it was reported that screenwriterBenedict Fitzgerald was suing Gibson, along with Vicki Christianson, Icon Productions, Icon Distribution, Marquis Films, and Airborne Productions, for defrauding him of millions of dollars, as well as incorrectly taking co-writing credit for the screenplay ofPassion of the Christ.[222] In May 2009, Gibson agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Fitzgerald. Details of the settlement, agreed atLos Angeles County Superior Court, were not released. Gibson's representatives did not comment on the settlement.[223]
GLAAD accused Gibson ofhomophobia after a December 1991 interview in the Spanish newspaperEl País in which he made derogatory comments about gay people.[91][226] Gibson later defended his comments,[91] and rejected calls to apologize even as he faced fresh accusations of homophobia in the wake of his filmBraveheart.[195] Gibson joined GLAAD in hosting 10 lesbian and gay filmmakers for an on-location seminar on the set of the movieConspiracy Theory in January 1997.[227] In 1999, when asked about the comments toEl País, Gibson said, "I shouldn't have said it, but I was tickling a bit of vodka during that interview, and the quote came back to bite me on the ass."[196]
On July 28, 2006, Gibson was arrested by Sheriff's Deputy James Mee of theLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department fordriving under the influence (DUI) while speeding in his vehicle with an open container of alcohol. According to a 2011 article inVanity Fair, Gibson first told the arresting officer, "My life is over. I'm fucked. Robyn's going to leave me."[228] According to the arrest report, Gibson exploded into an angry tirade when the arresting officer would not allow him to drive home. In whatVanity Fair was later told was an attempt atsuicide by cop,[228] Gibson said to the arresting officer, "Fucking Jews... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Are you a Jew?"[229][230][231]
After the arrest report was leaked onTMZ.com, Gibson issued two apologies through his publicist,[232] and—in a televised interview withDiane Sawyer—he affirmed the accuracy of the quotations.[233] He further apologized for his "despicable" behavior, saying that the comments were "blurted out in a moment of insanity",[221] and asked to meet with Jewish leaders to help him "discern the appropriate path for healing."[234] After Gibson's arrest, his publicist said he had entered arecovery program to battle alcoholism.
Winona Ryder has repeatedly told a story to various press outlets about speaking to Mel Gibson with her friend at a party. Gibson allegedly responded to her friend, who was gay, by asking if he was going to getAIDS from speaking with him, and later asked Ryder, who is Jewish, if she was an "oven dodger."[235][236] A representative of Gibson later denied the accusations.[237]
In July 2010, Gibson had been recorded during a phone call with Grigorieva where he suggested that if she got "raped by a pack of niggers", she would be to blame, and threatening to burn down Grigorieva's house while she was inside it.[238][239][240][241] Grigorieva said the voices on the multiple recordings leaked were of herself and Gibson, according toCNN.[242] He was barred from coming near Grigorieva or their daughter due to adomestic violence-relatedrestraining order.[238] The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department launched a domestic violence investigation against Gibson,[157] later dropped when Gibson pleadedno contest to a misdemeanor battery charge.[161]
Gibson's controversial statements resulted in his beingblacklisted in Hollywood for almost a decade.[243] BothRobert Downey Jr. and journalist Allison Hope Weiner advocated for forgiveness for Gibson in 2014.[244][245] In 2016, Gibson's filmHacksaw Ridge, which received six Academy Award nominations, resulted in what was perceived as a "thaw" in his reputation.[246]
Gibson quietly declined theChevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government in 1995 as a protest against France's resumption of nuclear testing in the Southwest Pacific.[249]
On July 25, 1997, Gibson was named an honoraryOfficer of the Order of Australia (AO), in recognition of his "service to the Australian film industry". The award was honorary because substantive awards are made only to Australian citizens.[250][251]
^Thomas, Bob (September 21, 1981)."'Gallipoli' an Australian project".The Blade. Associated Press. RetrievedOctober 21, 2014 – via Google News Archive.
^Hiscock, John (January 21, 2010)."Mel Gibson interview".The Daily Telegraph. UK.Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. RetrievedJuly 20, 2010.
^abcWockner, Rex."Mel Gibson, Circa 1992, "Refuses to Apologize to Gays"."Archived November 9, 2013, at theWayback MachineSan Francisco Bay Times. August 17, 2006. Quote: Asked what he thought of gay people, he said, "They take it up the ass." Gibson then proceeded to point at his posterior and said: "This is only for taking a shit." When reminded that he had worked closely with gay people at drama school, Gibson said, "They were good people, kind, I like them. But their thing is not my thing." When the interviewer asked if Gibson was afraid that people would think he is gay because he's an actor, Gibson replied, "Do I sound like a homosexual? Do I talk like them? Do I move like them? What happens is when you're an actor, they stick that label on you."
^abPeter BiskindIllustration by André Carrilho (February 23, 2011)."Vanity Fair, March 2011".Vanity Fair.Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. RetrievedMarch 19, 2014.
^Galloway, Stephen.The Hollywood Reporter. October 30, 1995. "It was a definite decision to make a protest against the nuclear tests", said Gibson, who is mad at French President Jacques Chirac for deciding to detonate some bombs in the Pacific.
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