Mel Gibson was one of the biggest stars in the 1980s. He brought characters to life on the big screen. However, a 2006 arrest and abuse allegations tarnished his image. The disgraced actor Mel Gibson launched a comeback a few years ago. However, he’s under fire again for mocking disabled fans. Keep reading for all the details on the shocking incident.
Mel Gibson Launches Comeback After Arrest, Abuse Allegations
Mel Gibson was a huge box office draw for over two decades. He won his first Oscar for the 1995 hit Braveheart. He starred in and directed the blockbuster movie. However, his career suffered a serious blow in 2006 when he was arrested for DUI. Getting arrested for driving under the influence isn’t a Hollywood dealbreaker.
However, the actor was captured on camera making antisemitic comments to the Jewish arresting officer. Mel Gibson apologized. However, he was the center of another scandal in 2010 when his former girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, released audio from their arguments. Mel Gibson used extremely racist, misogynistic and threatening language in the audio recordings.
The once-popular actor became exiled from Hollywood. But the public has a short memory. Mel Gibson took on lesser roles until 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge put him back on the A-list. He directed the upcoming sequel to The Passion of Christ and has other projects in the works. There are also plans in the works for a Lethal Weapon sequel amid Danny Glover’s health issues.
Lethal Weapon Star Faces Backlash After Mocking Disabled Fans
There was a time when only C-list or lower stars attended fan conventions. However, some of the biggest names in Hollywood earn extra cash with fan meet-and-greets. Mel Gibson made his first convention appearance at the 2024 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention. He was one of the celebrity guests at Fan Expo Canada over the weekend.
The trouble came when Mel Gibson came out for the Q&A panel. Like many conventions and public events, Fan Expo Canada provided an American Sign Language interpreter for the panel. The interpreter was translating what the moderator said when Mel Gibson walked out from behind the curtain and began mocking the interpreter with fake sign language.
Mel Gibson is reportedly under fire for mocking an ASL interpreter at Fan Expo Canada: pic.twitter.com/hraMHz8og0
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 31, 2026
The clip of the incident immediately went viral after TMZ shared it. Many Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans blasted the actor for making fun of the interpreter and ASL.
- “This kind of tracks given Mel’s track record with racist and misogynistic views.”
- “This is despicable!”
- “Always disappointing to see my language mocked.”
- “On point for him. Such a disappointment he turned out to be.”
However, Mel Gibson also had an equal number of fans defending him or laughing off the “joke.” The panel continued without any other issues. The actor is slated to appear at the Fan Expo Dallas on September 11-13.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger