IN A PRE-RECORDED interview for tomorrow night’s The Late Late Show, Hollywood star Mel Gibson said he is glad that the victims of sexual abuse and harassment in the industry have spoken up.
The Australian actor told Ryan Tubridy that “you heart goes out to the victims”, referencing the people who have come forward with allegations against Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein.
He said: “I think it is unfortunate that they have to relive the whole thing in order to heal themselves.
The rest of us are subjected to the problem, I think we really need to look at it. But it is not just Hollywood, you don’t have to be in Hollywood to experience that kind of harassment.
Gibson, himself, has faced a string of scandals in the latter years of his career, the most infamous of which was anti-Semitic rant against a police officer in Malibu, California, in 2006.
In 2010, he faced renewed criticism after allegations he was racist and misogynist in a voicemail left with his former partner, Oksana Grigorieva.
He later reached a plea agreement over plans to charge him with battery against Grigorieva.
Stranger Things actress Winona Ryder also made allegations that Gibson made anti-semitic and homophobic comments to her and called her an “oven-dodger” in reference to the Nazi gas chambers, while it was alleged he shoved and verbally abused a photographer during an altercation in 2015.
“It is rampant everywhere”
As part of the promotion for the film Daddy’s Home 2, Gibson appeared alongside co-stars Mark Walhberg, John Lithgow and Will Ferrell.
Walhberg was asked about the re-shooting of a movie due to Kevin Spacey’s involvement. Christopher Plummer has replaced the disgraced actor in Ridley Scott’s upcoming All the Money in the World.
He said: “If you think about sexual harassment, it is obviously rampant in Hollywood, it is rampant everywhere.
In this particular case, we completely support Ridley’s decision to reshoot the movie and we want to make sure that we handle it, especially when it comes to the victims with respect and sensitivity. That is the most important thing.
Also appearing on the Late Late tomorrow night is comedian Peter Kay, musician Christy Moore, actress Alison Spittle, actor James Nesbitt with music from Ham Sandwich.
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