Mel Gibson Saga Continues: Oksana Grigorieva Under Investigation for Extortion

The dispute between actor-director Mel Gibson and his former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva has been playing out all over the news, Internet tabloids, and on entertainment programs like 'Entertainment Tonight' and 'The Insider'. A ticked-off ranting Mel can be heard calling Oksana every name in the book and then some. But what would set the actor off? Is Mel Gibson the real victim in this case?

Is it possible this is an elaborate scheme on Oksana's part to keep Mel away from their 9-month old daughter? Is Oksana trying to extort money from the actor?

When the couple split in January, TMZ has reported that Oksana agreed to a custody arrangement with the actor, later regretted it, and then went to court in June to get a restraining order that would keep Mel away from her and their daughter, Lucia. She claimed he punched her in the face five months earlier in January, knocking out teeth and giving her a concussion. Mel then went to court and had that order modified so he could see his daughter. This modification was essentially a rejection of Oksana's claim that the baby was in danger and affirmed the couple's original custody agreement.

Oksana is currently the focus of an extortion investigation. According to the LA Times, LA County sheriff's detectives are looking into whether she tried to extort money from the actor in connection to those recorded tapes made public by Radar Online and domestic violence allegations. According to the People, Oksana Grigorieva demanded money from Gibson, telling his if he didn't pay up she would leak the recordings to the media.

The audio tapes of a ranting Mel Gibson have somehow been made available to Radar Online despite there being a court order in place that prevents their release (and they just keep on coming). Oksana Grigorieva has maintained she isn't the leak, but it is believed she sold those tapes in order to make a few bucks and in the process ruin Mel Gibson - not that he needed any help given his prior racial and anti-semitic rants he is known for. These rambling rants sound like a man who has been pushed too far and is at the end of his rope.

Did Oksana Grigorieva Harm Herself and Blame Mel Gibson?

Sources have told TMZ that on the night of January 6, Oksana ran to the backyard of their home with the baby and threw herself on the ground. She then went back inside the house and began shaking the baby "like a ragdoll." While TMZ's sources acknowledge there was a physical confrontation, Mel was only trying to protect the baby.

Meanwhile, Oksana maintains it was Mel who hit her and knocked out a couple teeth. How can someone who is dating such a high-profile figure go five months without saying a word about physical abuse?

As the Mel Gibson/Oksana Grigorieva saga continues to play out, it is looking more and more like the actor may be the real victim in this, his only crime being that he lost his temper and said some things he shouldn't have said, just like the rest of us are known to do. It should be interesting to learn what, if anything, the extortion investigation turns up.

Sources:
Mel Gibson's Lawyer: Oksana Grigorieva Full of Lies, Deceit | TMZ.com
Mel Gibson: Oksana Grigorieva Is Lying and She Secretly Taped me | TMZ.com
Detectives examining alleged extortion attempt by Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend | L.A. Now | Los Angeles Times
Police Investigating Mel Gibson's Extortion Claims Agaist Oksana - Crime & Courts, Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva : People.com