Following his arrest last Friday in Malibu, California, actor-director Mel Gibson has apologized to the Jewish community for the rude remarks he made to a police officer. “I want to apologize specifically to the Jewish community for the words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested,” he said in an official statement released by his publicist Tuesday. He further said that he is not an “anti-Semite” and that “hatred goes against my faith.”
The 50-year old actor also pleaded the Jews to help him recover from his alcoholism. His statement not only asked for forgiveness but also expressed hope for a personal discussion with the Jewish leaders to talk about his efforts toward healing. Meanwhile, Rabbi Marvin Hier, who founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said that Gibson should correct his anti-Semitism behavior through a sincere, private process. Hier said “a press release, no matter how well-written, is not a vaccine that wipes away anti-Semitism.”
A legal case against Gibson is said to be “being reviewed” at the moment at the District Attorney’s Office. Should the case be filed, he is set to be arraigned on September 28 at the Malibu Superior Court. The actor was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol but was released later after posting a $5,000 bail.
Reports have it that Gibson’s future is now at stake, more so as he is about to promote his next film “Apocalypto” under Walt Disney Productions and which is set to be released on December 8. Gibson has been more active in directing films lately than acting in movies.
[tags]Mel Gibson, Jews, Apocalypto, Movies[/tags]
Originally posted on August 11, 2006 @ 10:10 am