Posted on 07/30/2006 5:13:24 PM PDT by familyop
MEL Gibson was speeding, drunk and absolutely certain of how this episode would end when he was pulled over and arrested by a police officer in Malibu.
Gibson, 50, told Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy James Mee he "owned" Malibu as he was driven, handcuffed, to the Los Hills sheriff's station early on Friday morning, and he would "get even" with him.
"I'm going to f--- you," Gibson reportedly said.
"You're going to regret you ever did this to me."
What followed will cast a shadow over the remainder of the American-born, Australian-raised Gibson's career as one of Hollywood's most admired and bankable actors, directors and producers.
Mee's official arrest report, partially released on the entertainment news website TMZ.com, and confirmed by an industry reporter and The Washington Post, described Gibson as "blurting out a barrage of anti-Semitic remarks".
These included references to "f------ Jews" and "The Jews are responsible for all the war in the world", before asking the deputy: "Are you a Jew?"
According to the TMZ site, the deputy made an audio recording of the incident from the time Gibson's 2006 Lexus was pulled over for driving at 139 km/h in a 70 km/h zone on the Pacific Coast Highway in the affluent Los Angeles beachside suburb at 2.36am.
The gravity of his situation quickly struck Gibson, according to Deputy Mee. "My life is f-----," he said, after being told he was being arrested.
Gibson subsequently returned a blood alcohol reading of .12. The legal limit in California is .08.
"I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse," Gibson said yesterday.
In his statement of apology, Gibson said he regretted saying "things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable". However, the actor did not directly address the anti-Semitic remarks he was heard to have uttered.
Reaction to Gibson's arrest has been muted. The story did not break until Friday afternoon. TMZ posted its copy of the deputy's report on its website later that evening.
At risk is Gibson's ambivalent relationship with the Jewish lobby, quietly powerful in the film and television industry and in American politics.
Many in the Jewish community were outraged at the anti-Semitic message they claimed was implicit in Gibson's 2004 bloody blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, which he directed and funded with $US25 million from his personal fortune.
At a time the star's father, Hutton Gibson, denied the Holocaust in a radio interview, describing it as "maybe not all fiction, but most of it is".
The success of the film, with its international return of $US611 million, marked Gibson, a conservative Catholic, as a powerful political and cultural force.
In Australia, the executive director of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, Colin Rubenstein, said Gibson had a history of anti-Semitic behaviour, citing as an example the The Passion of the Christ. "The episode, regrettably, is not a surprise," Dr Rubenstein said.
Gibson's success and influence hid what the actor yesterday acknowledged had become a losing battle with alcoholism. He had previously been arrested for driving under the influence while filming in Canada in 1984. At that point he returned to his farm near Yackandandah, in north-eastern Victoria, for two years to dry out, before resuming his film career in the US.
Deputy Mee said he found in the Lexus a bottle of Cazardores tequila in a brown paper bag "within easy reach" of Gibson while he had been driving. It was three-quarters full.
I wouldn't doubt Mel Gibson has a bit of a chip on his shoulder regarding Jews after their treatment towards him and his movie. I'm sure he regrets the incident. Poor example to be sure but I still admire him alot.
BTW--I believe hitlery made this same charge against Jews and it was conveniently overlooked as not a big deal when she said it.
I suppose the double standard once again applies tho.
A Star of David, and "yellow" like the Nazis forced Jews to wear.
Could it be the reason brought up Jews, and asked the LEO "Are you a Jew?" was the shield?
That would be funny. Six pointed LE shields are not uncommon, seven pointed ones much more IIRC>
Oh, and you should probably pick up The National Enquirer over the next couple of weeks. They will certainly be on top of it as well.
This just does not sound like a something a drunk would say.
I think this is embellished. Is there a Police car video?
Heck, maybe Mel ran because he thought he was caught by the Jewish police! I think that would scare him. LOL.
The thing is: Why should he be resentful? He made hundreds of millions. He showed everyone. Why should he be the least bit resentful. This is the disease of anti-Semitism. You can get some feeling as to why losers would be drawn to it.
And the most bizarre and disturbing thing is the context. It wasn't like the cop wanted his opinion on the goings-on in Lebanon. This was clearly at the top of his mind.
If his dad is any indication of how he's going to be down the line, his future looks bleak.
...cunning, baffling and powerful, as well ...
FWIW, 12 years, if he really was sober that length of time, is somewhat of a testing point. I knew a fine lady who was sober 12 years in AA, then "went back out" for 12 years. At the time I met her, she had just gotten her 2nd 12 year coin, 36 years after she first went in.
She was one of the lucky ones.
Oy, I really wish Mel hadn't done this.
Is this the entire article? Where, specifically does Gibson apologize for his antisemitic remarks?
As a Jew I saw his movie on Christ's Death and thought it was pretty good.
I though his portrayal of my people was a little over the top but always said to myself, "That's Hollywood".
WRONG!!!!!!!!
No, I don't think Gibson is in that league. The Passion is a very beautiful film with some truly striking images, however. Many of these images were actually taken from classic works of religious art - there are certain tableaux or even individual figures that are directly from Velazquez, Caravaggio, etc.
I guess I just don't see the point of being that impressed by Gibson as a person. He's not a saint, just a very fine artist in his medium.
I just hope this is not like the "Dixie Chicks" fake apology.
This is PR Stage I: Acknowledge mistakes but be vague enough to not pin yourself down to any specific actions or words.
PR Stage II acknowledges as little as possible, but involves addressing the mistakes in general terms (he won't admit to specific remarks, just "unfortunate, anti-Jewish remarks"). He issues specific apologies and hopes it's enough. It probably will be because time will have passed.
Don't expect to see him as an actor again, though.
Possible, more likely that with his inhibitions gone, he simply said what was on his mind.
...will be 21 years in october....
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