{"id":8120,"date":"2026-08-31T20:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T20:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8120"},"modified":"2026-08-31T20:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T20:38:22","slug":"mel-gibson-says-he-couldnt-help-thoughtless-idiocy-when-mocking-sign-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8120","title":{"rendered":"Mel Gibson says he couldn’t help ‘thoughtless idiocy’ when mocking sign language"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mel Gibson is apologizing for once again doing something offensive, though this time he did it in public instead of during a drunken driving arrest or while fighting and allegedly battering his ex-girlfriend.<\/p>\n

Read more NYC investors grab Silicon Valley tech building for $300 million-plus<\/a><\/p>\n

As the 70-year-old walked onstage during a Fan Expo Canada event over the weekend, he mocked the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter who was present, Page Six and People reported. Video of the \u201cLethal Weapon\u201d star\u2019s appearance at the convention went viral, showing him come out from behind the curtain, wave at attendees and then mimic the interpreter\u2019s signs.<\/p>\n

The backlash on social media was immediate and mostly damning, with people on X saying that Gibson\u2019s mockery was \u201cdespicable\u201d and \u201cgross,\u201d Page Six reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis choice is bonkers to me,\u201d film critic Jeff Ewing said on X. He was referring to usually \u201cpositive vibes\u201d convention, which caters to fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime and gaming, inviting such a polarizing\u00a0 celebrity who has a decades-long history of making homophobic, sexist, racist and antisemitic remarks, as Page Six also reported. Ewing said the interpreter was \u201cjust doing their job\u201d while people were there to genuinely welcome Gibson and hear what he had to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat dysfunction causes a brain to need to be casually cruel for no reason?\u201d Ewing asked.<\/p>\n

In response to Ewing\u2019s post, another person said, \u201cIsn\u2019t it widely known by now (Gibson is) a just terrible human being on the same Grumpy Grandpa level as Voight, Woods and Quaid\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to the backlash, Gibson issued a statement that described his behavior as \u201cspontaneous thoughtless idiocy.\u201d He apologized, saying, \u201cThere\u00a0was no intended maliciousness attached, and I certainly apologize to anyone who was upset by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gibson also explained: \u201cSometimes when you get pushed out on a stage in a spotlight your mind is all over the place, and sometimes spontaneous thoughtless idiocy is displayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Certainly, the event should have gone much better for Gibson, who once won an Academy Award for directing \u201cBraveheart.\u201d He was invited to participate in a panel discussion and reminisce about his long Hollywood career, including the years when he was one of the most popular, bankable stars in the world, for his roles in the \u201cMad Max\u201d and \u201cLethal Weapons\u201d movies and for more serious, early roles in \u201cGallipoli\u201d and \u201cThe Year of Living Dangerously.\u201d During the discussion, Gibson also shared a few details about his two \u201cThe Resurrection of Christ\u201d movies, the upcoming follow-ups to 2004\u2019s biblical epic, \u201cThe Passion of the Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Former Primus manager now booking concerts in East Bay, Napa, Santa Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

Instead Gibson reminded people of all the past times he was \u201cterrible,\u201d as people on X called him.<\/p>\n

Gibson first did serious damage to his reputation when he went on an antisemitic rant during his 2006 arrest for drunk driving, later insisting he was \u201ctruly sorry\u201d for an \u201cout of control\u201d moment that was tied to his drinking, Page Six reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

But then a recording surfaced in 2010 of Gibson going on an obscenity-laced tirade against his then-girlfriend Oksana Grigoriev, the mother of his 1-year-old daughter, berating Grigoriev for her appearance and even using the N-word, ABC News reported. A physical altercation between the couple also led to Gibson pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of battery.<\/p>\n

That same year, Winona Ryder alleged Gibson made homophobic and antisemitic remarks to her and a gay friend at a star-studded bash, Page Six reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was really drunk,\u201d Ryder said at the time. \u201cIt was just this weird, weird moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Ryder spoke about Gibson\u2019s comments again in 2020, the actor\u2019s rep issued a statement insisting that the \u201cStranger Things\u201d alum \u201cwas lying\u201d on both occasions, Page Six reported.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Gibson\u2019s popularity in Hollywood has suffered from the scandals, with a source telling Page Six in 2008 that he had become a \u201cpariah.\u201d Aside from followers of MAGA politics, Gibson\u2019s standing in the industry probably didn\u2019t get much of a boost when President Trump named him, Sylvester Stallone and fellow \u201cGrumpy Grandpa\u201d Jon Voight as \u201cspecial ambassadors\u201d to Hollywood.<\/p>\n

Read more 49ers have done \u2018some crazy, wonderful things\u2019 since DeBartolo family bought them in 1977<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the ‘Lethal Weapon’ star walked onstage during a Fan Expo Canada event, he mimicked the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter who was present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nMel Gibson says he couldn’t help ‘thoughtless idiocy’ when mocking sign language - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8120\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mel Gibson says he couldn’t help ‘thoughtless idiocy’ when mocking sign language - 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