Mel Gibson Admits Drinking Before and After Arrest...Still Denies Hatred of Jews
Thursday, October 12, 2006 - Mel Gibson Finally Speaks to GMA's Diane Sawyer About His Drunken Rant Against Jews
"It's no excuse," Gibson told GMA's Diane Sawyer this morning regarding his drunken tirade that fated night. Still, Gibson seemed a bit glib and animated regarding Sawyer's inquiries as to whether or not anti-Semitism lay deep in his heart.
"I've just been angry all my life," Gibson admitted, recounting his abilitiy to kill inanimate objects such as toasters. But Gibson did not name the source of his anger, and didn't touch on the presumtion that any racist views he exhibited may have been birthed in his Holocaust-denying father.
The Relapse
Mel Gibson also confessed on GMA that he'd started drinking two months before his night of "public humiliation on a global scale" that showed the world his relapse. Gibson quipped that "vanity won out" during his mug shot taking, since Mel didn't want to look as bad as Nick Nolte appeared on his police photo.
And how did his wife of 26 years, Robyn, and their seven children take the news of Gibson's arrest?
"It was a little rough that morning," Gibson said of the following day. While Mel remarked that he didn't flagrantly chug beers in front of his family as he relayed the bad news, he did "chase it down with a few cold ones."
Fighting the Spirit of Drunkeness
Is it a case of in vino veritas, which means "in wine there it truth," or more commonly referred to as a drunken mind speaking the sober truth? Gibson flat out denied any hidden hatred of Jews brought out by swigs of Mescal from Oaxaca that burned its way down Mel's esophagus.
"That's not who I am," Mel told Diane, yet when Sawyer asked how would Gibson have reacted if the cop had been black Gibson didn't offer an insincere patented knee-jerk "no" but honestly paused and said, "Maybe…I'd have to get loaded again…"
What Remains
"You got me a little green," Gibson admitted about his journey to the source of the rage that dogs him as much as alcohol. Mel's first arrest for drunk driving happened back in 1984, and he later joined AA in 1991.
Gibson did admit that his anger "has to have some kind of place somewhere," though, and is leaning on God full force to get through this rough period. "It's God," Gibson declard. "You gotta go there or you won't survive."
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Watch the second part of Diane Sawyer's exclusive interview with Mel Gibson Friday, Oct. 13, on "Good Morning America," which airs across the country from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
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4 Comments
Post a CommentI liked many of his movies, like Braveheart and Ransom. I hope he gets back inthe right track. You know, drunk people say a lot of things they don't really think. They lose control when drunk. I had someone in the family with that problem and I know what I am talking about. It is what they say when they aren't drunk that counts. As for the rest, let's just throuw it down the toilet and flush.
I've been an addiction therapist for 20+ years. I saw the interview in question today, and I am absolutely certain that Mel doesn't get it. He isn't my patient and I don't know anything about his alcoholism. But anyone in my line of work can tell in a split second whether or not the person is taking responsibility for his actions, or if he's in deep denial. Mel wants to blame his blood alcohol content for calling a female officer "sugar tits" and making uncalled-for comments about Jews. He can apologize all he wants, but I recall the Chinese proverb: "A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts." Mel, your BAC only unleashed your true thoughts, which you've been careful enough not to say. Now we all know what's in your heart, stone cold sober.
I was disappointed to hear of Mel's comments back when this story broke, but not surprised. Anti-semetism and hostility toward Isreal, exists among some old school traditional catholics-which Mel Gibson is. That has been my observation, and in no way am I saying "catholics don't like jews" so don't read that from my statement.
And it still amazes me that Mel Gibson has incited more outrage with his inference than the president of Iran has with his very straight forward wish for Isreal to be annihilated.
Well-written article.
It looks like he has anger problems and an alcohol problem. So sad... but not at all unusual in Hollywood.