Mel Gibson Says He’s Sober, Not Anti-Semitic and It’s Time To Move On
Mel Gibson doesn’t understand why people are still talking about anti-Semitic remarks he made after a drunk driving arrest in 2006.
During an interview with Variety’s podcast Playback, Gibson said he finds it “kind of annoying” when he’s asked to explain his drunken rant.
As a recap, ten years ago Gibson was recorded saying that “f—king Jews” are “responsible for all the wars in the world.” He then asked his arresting officer: “Are you a Jew?”
When asked by Playback’s interviewer how he responds to people who say they won’t watch his films as a result of those comments, the 60-year-old actor explained that he didn’t quite get the problem.
“I don’t understand why after 10 years it’s any kind of issue,” Gibson said. “Surely if I was really what they say I was, some kind of hater, there’d be evidence of actions somewhere.”
He went onto claim that accusations he is prejudiced are “unfair.”
“I’ve never discriminated against anyone or done anything that sort of supports that reputation,” the actor said.
Gibson, whose film “Hacksaw Ridge” comes out early next month, pointed to the fact that a number of years have elapsed since his rant—and people should move on.
“Ten years have gone by…I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m sober, all of that kind of stuff, and for me it’s a dim thing in the past.”
Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30