Controversies easily make up half of an actor’s career and then there are those who’ve been entangled in so many scandals that it’s all that remains visible to the naked eye of the public. And as prolific an action hero as Mel Gibson is, he ranks at the very top of the list when it comes to the latter.
But while the Lethal Weapon star is usually audacious and outspoken (more than some would deem appropriate), he appeared to be tight-lipped at large when he was asked a rather affronting question involving Will Smith during one of his interviews that took place just last year. Surprising for someone who seldom thinks twice before giving his opinions right? Wait till you see what the question was.
When Mel Gibson’s Publicist Had to End His Live Interview
When Will Smith‘s Oscars controversy unfurled following his aggressive, one-sided brawl with Chris Rock, it became fodder for endless gossip all across the globe. From fans and YouTubers to celebrities and Hollywood hotshots, everybody weighed in on the slap gate debacle, some sympathizing with the 54-year-old actor as others berated him. But when Mel Gibson was asked to lend his two cents on the situation, he could barely utter anything in response.
Back in 2022, Gibson, 67, had briefly sat down with Fox News‘ Jesse Watters for an interview, when the latter took him by surprise with his question of how the media would’ve reacted had he been in Smith’s place.
“You understand it probably better than a lot of people, with your career. And I was wondering if, you know, you had been the one that jumped up out of his seat and slapped Chris Rock, if you would have been treated the same way, Mel?”
A perplexed Gibson was at an obvious loss for words and though it looked like he had no answer, to begin with, his publicist intervened to abruptly cut off the interview, not waiting for anything to escalate. “Um…thank you, Jesse. Uh, we — that is our time,” the actor’s crew member stammered as he tried to wrap it all up. Yikes.
While he’s no Smith, slapping a comedian on-stage during an award ceremony in front of the whole wide world, the Mad Max star certainly has had his fair share of ‘blinded by fury’ moments. Like that time when he stormed out of the MTV Awards during the ’90s after an on-stage interaction didn’t tickle his fancy.
The MTV Movie Awards Disaster in 1996
Gibson’s sudden disappearance from the award show was a result of a dash of improv on the part of his co-host Janeane Garofalo, who caught the actor/director off guard by veering off course and asking questions that didn’t seem palatable in the least to the Braveheart star.
From “Do you think I’m America’s sweetheart?” to “Do you think I look fat in this dress?” Garofalo continued his seemingly innocuous banter, meanwhile, Gibson couldn’t contain his chagrin toward it all, which ultimately led him to storm off and flee from the awards, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
And while Gibson’s tea, refused to address the matter, for the most part, MTV did issue a statement, labeling it as a “mix-up backstage.” “They f**ked up,” a spokesperson for the actor said.
Source: ET Canada
