Actor Mel Gibson arrested in Malibu

[Brian Damage]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor and director Mel Gibson was arrested in Malibu early on Friday and released on bail, according to police, in what media reports said was a case of driving under the influence.

A Web site for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Gibson, 50, was taken into custody at 2:36 a.m. PDT (5:36 a.m. EDT) and booked less than two hours later. It listed his bail amount at $5,000.

The celebrity Web site TMZ.com reported the arrest was for driving under the influence after a Breathalyzer was administered.

A spokesman for the sheriff's department could not immediately be reached for comment. Gibson's publicist also could not be reached.

[Brad Russ]

:eek: Damn, that's a shock. I thought he overcame all of those demons.

[dawsongirl]

I didn't know he was into heavy drinking.

[Janice]

Wow, that's a shock! I remember Mel was a huge partier back in the day. Then I read in interviews with him that he stopped because it was causing problems in his life, mainly his marriage.

I hope, if this report is true, that he's able to get back on track.

[Ireneparalegal]

Wow, that's a shock! I remember Mel was a huge partier back in the day. Then I read in interviews with him that he stopped because it was causing problems in his life, mainly his marriage.

I hope, if this report is true, that he's able to get back on track.
:yeahthat

[Brad Russ]

I hope, if this report is true, that he's able to get back on track.

Me too!! We all fall sometimes, and make mistakes. Hopefully this was just a stupid mistake on his part. I wish you the best Mel!!!

[Pitooey]

How sad. I feel for him. I just hope he gets it together. I really like Mel. :(

They have another guy who people say drinks too much. He starred in Baywatch (David Hasselhoff). I hope he gets it together also. :(

[TJL]

Say it aint so Mel...

[80sTrivia]

You'd think he would know better...

[Ireneparalegal]

Apparently Mel released a statement acknowledging the DUI and also having a tirade, yelling profanities and so forth. He apologizes for his despicable behavior and for this relapse in his fight with alcoholism.

[AKA]

Mr. Gibson's statement:

After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the L.A. County sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person.

I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said and I apologize to anyone who I have offended.

Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry.

I have battled the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health.

An argument can be made that being drunk doesn't make one say things one doesn't believe; it just loosens one's inhibitions. Mr. Gibson said some pretty horrible, anti-Semitic things upon his arrest, things I won't quote here. Everyone deserves a second chance and I hope he can beat the demons he seems to have, but I think that his career will never recover.

He went from spearheading a film that entire chuch congregrations took field trips to see to defaming Jews and nearly urinating in his jail cell in the span of two and a half years. Talk about a fall from grace.

Like I said, I wish him the best of luck, and hope that he doesn't believe in his heart some of the things he said, but I don't think he will be able to recover a whole heck of the amount of respect he's lost amongst his fans.

[TJL]

Considering the flak Mel got from many people in the Jewish community over "Passion Of The Christ," I think he's going to have a tough time living down the anti semitic comments he made during his incarceration.

[Ireneparalegal]

Believe me, with all the WORST things that other celebs have done, he won't fall from grace. Look at Robert Downey Jr (drug abuse, arrests, etc.)....Look at Woody Allen (marrying his own adopted daughter, after having an affair with her WHILE MARRIED to another)...Roman Polanski (raping a teenage girl and fleeing America)...etc. etc. etc. Too many celebs get away with doing so much. As long as they continue to make films and make people rich in Hollywood, Hollywood and those connected with it ARE A VERY FORGIVING TOWN.

[AKA]

Hey may rebound a little bit, but he will never fully recover from this.

Considering all the controversy over how Jews were portrayed in The Passion Of The Christ, and his father's known views on the Holocaust, he took the one thing he shouldn't have said and blurted it out.

[Central Perk]

Nevermind. I found some excerpts. Wow, those statements are despicable.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Didn't I hear that he's done acting anyhow? I know he still directs but he hasn't acted in a film in quite awhile.

[Ireneparalegal]

Didn't I hear that he's done acting anyhow? I know he still directs but he hasn't acted in a film in quite awhile.
that's what I heard also.

Mel Gibson isn't the first famous person to use hate words...I am not condoning his actions, but I am only saying this in regards to the "downfall" quote posted earlier. Studios want to make $$$$, they could care less what kind of director you are, what your beliefs are, what you said in a drunken stupor and so forth.

[Brad Russ]

By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES - A stunned Hollywood debated the future of one of its biggest stars Sunday as a sheriff's watchdog launched an investigation into a possible cover up of a leaked report that quoted
Mel Gibson unleashing a tirade of anti-Semitic remarks during a drunken driving arrest.

One media expert said Gibson irreparably damaged his career with his "crazy" behavior following his arrest by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies in Malibu early Friday. Charges of anti-Semitism were also leveled against the actor-director with the release of his 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ."

"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."

The entertainment Web site TMZ posted what it said were four pages from the original arrest report, which quoted Gibson as launching an expletive-laden "barrage of anti-Semitic remarks" after he was stopped on Pacific Coast Highway.

According to the report, in addition to threatening the arresting deputy and trying to escape, Gibson said, "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked the officer, James Mee, "Are you a Jew?"

The report has not been made public, but the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday that it had independently verified its authenticity.

Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, would not elaborate beyond a nonspecific apology Gibson issued Saturday. Sheriff's sources also declined to comment on Gibson's alleged remarks.

Studio executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, were divided on how Gibson's behavior would affect his career. One noted that people have short memories, including filmmakers who might want to profit from Gibson's star power.

Filmgoers, too, could overlook much if the film is perceived as worthwhile.

"Usually it comes down to the marketing of the movie and does the average person want to see the film," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.

The Office of Independent Review, a department watchdog panel, has opened an investigation into whether authorities gave Gibson preferential treatment by covering up his 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 has filmed public service announcements for Sheriff Lee Baca's relief committee dressed in a sheriff's uniform.

"There is no cover-up," Baca told the Los Angeles Times. "Our job is not to (focus) on what he said. It's to establish his blood-alcohol level when he was driving and proceed with the case. Trying someone on rumor and innuendo is no way to run an investigation, at least one with integrity."

Gibson said in his apology that he said "despicable" things to deputies during his arrest.

"I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable," Gibson said.

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

"It's not a proper apology because it does not go to the essence of his bigotry and his anti-Semitism," he said in a statement on the organization's Web site. "We would hope that Hollywood now would realize the bigot in their midst and that they will distance themselves from this anti-Semite."

This is not the first time Gibson has faced accusations of anti-Semitism. Gibson produced, directed and financed "Passion," which some Jewish leaders said cast Jews as the killers of Jesus.

In a 2004 interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, Gibson said he was not anti-Semitic.

"To be anti-Semitic is a sin," he said. "It's been condemned by one Papal Council after another. To be anti-Semitic is to be un-Christian, and I'm not."

Days before "Passion" was released, Gibson's father Hutton Gibson was quoted saying the Holocaust was mostly "fiction." The younger Gibson has said that he will not speak against his father.

Gibson, 50, 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 also said he has struggled with alcoholism and had taken steps "to ensure my return to health."

He won a best-director Oscar for 1995's "Braveheart." He also starred in the "Lethal Weapon" and "Mad Max" films, "What Women Want" and "The Man Without a Face," among other films.

[ABlairican Pie]

Wow, it wasn't the drunk driving, it's the anti-Semitic remarks that calling his future into question. He's not going to make a lot of friends in Hollywood with that. ohno:

It's like they say, wine is a traitor.

[Central Perk]

It's like they say, wine is a traitor.

In vino veritas.

[AKA]

What Mel said was disgusting. Drunk or not, he disparaged an entire race of people. He needs to do some serious soul-searching and find out where these anti-Semitic feelings - and all the other demons lurking in his heart - are coming from and deal with them.

I always liked Mel Gibson. I've been a fan of his for years. When he was catching flak for The Passion Of The Christ's supposed negative portrayal of Jews, I defended him; I even went to see the movie (and this was four months before I accepted Christ) and thought it was a well-executed piece of cinema.

When I read about his remarks, though, I was floored. Shocked and disappointed. And saddened. Since The Passion came out, this guy has been looked up to by tons of people in my faith as the guy who brought what Jesus went through to the forefront, in a way never seen before. He became a hero to countless Christians who felt that people sometimes forget about the torture that Christ went through in His final hours before his crucifixion.

And then he goes and says things like, "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Talk about crash and burn.

Jesus taught forgiveness. I forgive Mel for the things he said, but I don't know if I can look at him the same way again. And I don't think Hollywood will forgive him.

However, I wish him all the best in conquering whatever turmoil is going on inside him. To be perfectly honest, in all the interviews I've seen him give since around the time The Passion came out, the man has seemed very unstable.

[ABlairican Pie]

It's sad. He may on the outward side say he doesn't know why he said that, but booze has this way of making you say and do things you ordinarily wouldn't do, and bringing out stuff lurking deep inside. He has an anti-Semitic father, and that can plant a lot of things inside, that are brought out when booze enters the picture.

[Ireneparalegal]

It's sad. He may on the outward side say he doesn't know why he said that, but booze has this way of making you say and do things you ordinarily wouldn't do, and bringing out stuff lurking deep inside. He has an anti-Semitic father, and that can plant a lot of things inside, that are brought out when booze enters the picture.
I so agree with you on that. How many people can say they have NEVER said anything racial, anything remotely racial, name calling that involved using a racial slur and so forth. And no one can use the excuse that he is a celebrity, and that he should know better. Alcohol knows no boundaries, it affects people in strange ways. Two women who met him at the Moonshadows restaurant and took pics of him said he was DRUNK! People even offered him a ride or to call for a ride, he declined. He needs to be dealt with the fact that he could have KILLED SOMEONE...not what came out of his mouth. How many drunks have you ever heard where they say NICE THINGS???? not many i bet.

[gilligan fanatic]

It has been what, 4 days? I am already sick of hearing about it-lol

[sweetdiggity]

LOS ANGELES - Mel Gibson said Tuesday he is not a bigot and he apologized to "everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words" he used when he was arrested for investigation of drunken driving.

"Hatred of any kind goes against my faith," he said in a statement released through publicist Alan Nierob.

"I'm not just asking for forgiveness," Gibson said. "I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one-on-one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing."

It was the second apology the 50-year-old Academy Award winner has issued through Nierob since his Friday arrest.

Gibson said he's "in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display" and hopes members of the Jewish community, "whom I have personally offended," will help him in his recovery efforts.

"There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark," Gibson said.

"But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith."

"We are glad that Mel Gibson has finally owned up to the fact that he made anti-Semitic remarks, and his apology sounds sincere. We welcome his efforts to repair the damage he has caused," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. "Once he completes his rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, we will be ready and willing to help him with his second rehabilitation to combat this disease of prejudice."

"I welcome his words. And I hope and pray that they are sincere and heartfelt," but Gibson needs to show "tangible actions" of repentance, said Rabbi Mark S. Diamond of the 280-member Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

"I don't want to minimize for a moment the hurt and anger, the anguish, his words have created in our community," he said.

Gibson acknowledged "there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable. But I pray that that door is not forever closed."

Gibson was pulled over for speeding early Friday in Malibu and arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.

He was released several hours later after posting $5,000 bail.

On Monday the Sheriff's Department sent its case to prosecutors, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. According to the official, the report states that a tequila bottle was found in Gibson's car when he was pulled over on Pacific Coast Highway.

The department's initial account of the arrest did not mention Gibson's remarks. However, the law enforcement official quoted Gibson as saying, "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asking the arresting officer, "Are you a Jew?"

The sheriff's deputy who arrested Gibson said Monday he feels badly that the star's reputation has been damaged but he hopes Gibson will think twice before drinking and driving again.

"I don't take pride in hurting Mr. Gibson," Deputy James Mee told The Associated Press during an interview outside his home.

Mee, who is Jewish, said he didn't take Gibson's remarks seriously.

"That stuff is booze talking," the deputy said.

However, Gibson's latest statement said he must take responsibility for making anti-Semitic remarks because as a public person, "when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena."

Gibson noted that his apology and efforts to repair relations with the Jewish community "is not about a film."

ABC announced late Monday that it had scrapped plans for Gibson to produce a miniseries on the Holocaust.

"This is about real life and recognizing the consequences hurtful words can have," Gibson said.

To some people, however, it is about movies.

"I don't think I want to see any more Mel Gibson movies," Barbara Walters said Monday on the ABC talk show "The View." ABC is owned by Disney, which was in the early stages of planning the marketing for Gibson's next film "Apocalypto."

This is not the first time Gibson has faced accusations of anti-Semitism. Gibson produced, directed and financed the 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," which some Jewish leaders said cast Jews as the killers of Jesus. Days before "Passion" was released, Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, was quoted as saying the Holocaust was mostly "fiction."

Gibson won a best-director Oscar for 1995's "Braveheart" and 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. The hundreds of millions of dollars he made from "The Passion" has given the star the ability to finance his own films, giving him a measure of independence from major studios. 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.

___
By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer

Associated Press Writers Solvej Schou, Jeremiah Marquez and Andrew Glazer contributed to this report.

[AKA]

I so agree with you on that. How many people can say they have NEVER said anything racial, anything remotely racial, name calling that involved using a racial slur and so forth. And no one can use the excuse that he is a celebrity, and that he should know better. Alcohol knows no boundaries, it affects people in strange ways. Two women who met him at the Moonshadows restaurant and took pics of him said he was DRUNK! People even offered him a ride or to call for a ride, he declined. He needs to be dealt with the fact that he could have KILLED SOMEONE...not what came out of his mouth. How many drunks have you ever heard where they say NICE THINGS???? not many i bet.

I'm glad he didn't get into an accident and hurt or kill anyone, but the fact remains that the man said anti-Semitic things. That's awful in and of itself. Add to it that he works in Hollywood, and you can pretty much kiss his career goodbye.

[Brad Russ]

I'm glad he didn't get into an accident and hurt or kill anyone, but the fact remains that the man said anti-Semitic things. That's awful in and of itself. Add to it that he works in Hollywood, and you can pretty much kiss his career goodbye.

Naah, his career will be just fine. If Roman Polansky can molest a little girl and still put out movies, then Mel shouldn't have much trouble. Apocalypto will be coming out in December, and I'm sure it'll do very well. I know I'll be going to see it!!