Mel Gibson Says He’s Sober, Not Anti-Semitic and It’s Time To Move On
Mel Gibson Image by Getty Images
By Thea Glassman October 28, 2016
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.
"Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief"
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
