johnnymk

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlot...p/15160104.htm

LOS ANGELES - Despite an apology by Mel Gibson, Hollywood insiders and the star's fans sought more details about his reported anti-Semitic tirade during an arrest for drunken driving and whether sheriff's deputies gave him preferential treatment.

Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, would not elaborate beyond an apology Gibson issued Saturday in which the star admitted he uttered "despicable" things to deputies.

A leaked arrest report quoted Gibson as saying "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asking an arresting officer, James Mee, "Are you a Jew?"

The entertainment Web site TMZ posted the document, which it said was four pages from the original arrest report. Sheriff's officials have declined to comment on Gibson's alleged remarks.

The Office of Independent Review, a department watchdog panel, has opened an investigation into whether authorities tried to cover up Gibson's alleged inflammatory comments, said its chief attorney, Mike Gennaco.

"Assuming that the report was excised, then the question is was it done for a good reason within regulations," he said.

Gibson, a Roman Catholic, has filmed public service announcements for Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca's relief committee dressed in a sheriff's uniform.

"There is no cover-up," Baca told the Los Angeles Times. "Trying someone on rumor and innuendo is no way to run an investigation, at least one with integrity."

Gibson was arrested after deputies stopped his 2006 Lexus LS 430 for speeding at 2:36 a.m. Friday. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said deputies clocked him doing 87 mph in a 45 mph zone.

A breath test indicated Gibson's blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent, Whitmore said. The legal limit in California is 0.08 percent.

Gibson posted $5,000 bail and was released hours later.

In his statement, Gibson said he has struggled with alcoholism and had taken steps "to ensure my return to health."

Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, called Gibson's apology "unremorseful and insufficient."

On Sunday, some in Hollywood debated whether Gibson's career could recover from the scandal.

"It's a nuclear disaster for him," said publicist Michael Levine, who has represented Michael Jackson and Charlton Heston, among others. "I don't see how he can restore himself."

But Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, said filmgoers could overlook the alleged ugly comments if a future Gibson film was perceived as worthwhile.

"Usually it comes down to the marketing of the movie and does the average person want to see the film," Dergarabedian said.

Gibson, 50, won a best-director Academy Award for 1995's "Braveheart," and also starred in the "Lethal Weapon" and "Mad Max" films, among others,

In recent years, he has turned his attention to producing films and TV shows through his Icon Productions. His last major starring role was in the 2002 film "Signs." He played a supporting part in the 2003 film, "The Singing Detective," which he also produced.

The hundreds of millions of dollars he made producing the 2004 film "The Passion of the Christ" has given the star the ability to finance his own films, giving him a measure of independence from the major studios.

Days before the release of "The Passion of the Christ," Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, sparked controversy when he told an interviewer that the Holocaust was mostly "fiction."

His next project is "Apocalypto," a movie about the decline of the Mayan empire that is being distributed by The Walt Disney Co.

Butch

Let's hope so . . . but he's been finished with me for a while . . . he and Tom Cruise won't add to their fortunes with any of my money . . . then again, neither will Michael Moore . . . I'm equal opportunity

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LegendKiller

Gibson is on my blacklist from now on, right along with Cruise.

It's pretty sad that people have to think or act this way, because this type of attitude and actions are what causes wars, not one race/religion of people.

nickel

Mel...why? He is denying these allegations of course, but here is a portion of the police report that was put online by TMZ.com which is owned by CNN/Time Warner.

Their story: http://www.tmz.com/2006/07/28/gibson...eged-cover-up/

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mcs328

Well I'm with the rest of you on this. Blacklisted.

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brainsmile

Who is this guy again?

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Butch

cnn.com is saying Mel has checked into rehab . . . good for him . . . sounds like he needs it.

Memo

He looks totally blitzed

Sirrich3

Lets see how this ends up...

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RIVERWIDOW

Looks like there are a lot of people without sin in this thread. Guess that is why most of you feel the necessity to cast stones.
No way is Mel in the right at any time during this event but you guys are merciless. He is after all human. That doesn't change because he is a star.

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Butch

You're right, it doesn't change just because he is a star . . . it changes because he is a star who has voluntarily put his personal religious beliefs into the public domain via the creation (and tremendous publicizing) of a movie that is based on his personal beliefs.

Since he's done that, he can't expect privacy when something negative about his beliefs comes out - it was his choice to put them into the public domain originally, and he reaped very handsome rewards for it . . . now he's got a price to pay for it. Tough sh1t.

Jane83

man this guy is such a nazi.
he needs to be on hollywoods black list.
spielberg wont be making any calls to him for his next movie

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RoniMan

well, i'm not condemning him....not yet.

I'd want to find out what exactly was he sorry for. I'm not talking about the content of his apology speech, since that was written for him. I'm talking about what was he REALLy sorry for?

for making antisemitic comments?
for drunk driving?
for getting caught?

LegendKiller

Yes, I sin. However, I can tell the difference between sheer disgusting hate and simple sin. He and his father have been spewing anti-Jewish garbage for years. Just as I don't like Nazis, I don't like poeple who identify with them or their beliefs. I will not patron the movie of somebody like him.

Finally, .12 BAC isn't a huge number, if Mel is really a hardcore drinker as he claims to be, then thats about 2-3 beers, if not a bit more, but not much more. He wasn't blasted, so it's not like he was so wasted that his inhibitions were gone.

This is what he really believes and it's nothing but hatred.

LPMiller

i suspect mel is one of those guys that doesn't really believe what he said there, but when he drinks, becomes his dad. He sounds screwed up to me. He'll do rehab, make a few speeches, he'll be fine.

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nickel

I have the same feelings about this as you. Mel heard these rants from an abusive alcoholic father his whole life and they've involuntarily permeated his subconscious. We all know alcohol brings that all out. I'm not making excuses for him, but there is a reason that the truth serum let those words flow out of him.

Only thing is. . . I think this is going to follow him for the rest of his life. I think he will get back to making movies, but his anti-Jewish sentiment will be the first thing on people's minds when they hear he's made another movie. It won't completely not hurt him.

ArkiStan

He might as well go through rehab in Israel, another source of front-page breaking news.

LegendKiller

I might agree with you if...

1. There was less anti-jewish slant in Passion

2. His BAC was more than it actually was

3. He and his father hadn't said anti-jewish remarks WELL before this while being sober

4. He had checked in to anything other than a day rehab clinic. He goes home every night, so it's not even going to work well.

RIVERWIDOW

Right and I dont expect him to avoid all the crap that will follow. What I was saying is most of the posts were cut and dried "He's a jerk forget him" type. I was just saying how about a little compassion. Just because he has a kazillion dollars doesn't mean we cant feel for the guy. EVEN though he brought the whole thing down on himself. I lived with an alcoholic father for 25 years until he started AA. So I guess maybe I have a little more compassion than the average person. My husband says it is my naiveness coming out. But I really like to give people the benefit of the doubt before I totally blow them off.
Mel Gibson lives in a world most of us will never experience but it is his childhood that shaped him into the man he is today. If you listened to the crap that I think he had to listen to most of his life, maybe you would be sprouting the same crap when you get drunk. You know the whole walk a mile .......thing.

DarkFury

/me waits for Obby to get to this thread and smite all of you who now don't believe in Mel.

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WhiskeyPapa

I think this was more than a drunken outburst. I think it was a full-out mental breakdown.

Anyway, he's just a guy that makes movies. I wouldn't expect the guy who cleans the toilets in our office building to get fired for this. In my mind, they're just two guys who do a job. I'm sure I could still be entertained by Mel's movies.

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Markel

What's kind of interesting is the difference between the attitude of the Jewish cop that stopped Gibson, and the issue-frenzied media.
Link to full story

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LPMiller

yeah well, having some experience with it, I'd have to say I'm still going with the screwed up head and abusive father.

nickel

reminds me of DeLay's mugshot. i am sure Mel was at least in the state of mind to make sure he didn't pull a Nick Nolte.



Mel doesn't look 1/2 bad in that shot actually.

nickel

this is from Drudge, but may be legit. Gibson's formal apology:

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash3.htm

Markel

The same quotes are in the (CBS) story I link a few replies back.

LegendKiller

My life wasn't gilded either and I had to deal with some of the same things. However, the past isn't a perfect predictor of the future, both my brother and sister are evidence of that, along with me. Just as I identify with some of the problems, I also hate it when people use it as a scapegoat mechanism.

LPMiller

i'm not declaring it a scapegoat or an excuse, I'm declaring it a reason. I ain't talking about 'having to deal with it' I'm talking about having a long line of drinkers on both sides of the family, of spending a few years in support groups counsoling, and being well versed in the art of the drunk. People who drink spout all sorts of crap, almost always the same stuff they grew up with, and a lot of the times that realization leads them to recovery.

It does not excuse what he said. It might explain it.

InfiniteNothing

Mel has one good PR guy.

Markel

It's more likely the media feeding frenzy. (where's that pirana smilie?)