Mel Gibson is an expert at being at the center of controversy, and the latest took place this Saturday, August 29, in Toronto. The 70-year-old New York actor attended the Fan Expo Canada over the weekend, and from the moment he appeared on stage, he caused outrage among some. As shown in a video that has gone viral on social media in recent days, Gibson imitated a sign language interpreter who was introducing the actor, which many have understood as mocking her. “Wow, Mel Gibson mocking sign language in front of the deaf community at his fan meet event! This is quite disappointing,” criticized a user on X this Monday. “What dysfunction makes a brain feel the need to be cruel for no reason?” another asked.
Gibson’s gesture has caused such an uproar that the actor himself has been forced to publicly apologize. “Sometimes, when you find yourself exposed on a stage under the spotlight, your mind is a mess and sometimes you do a spontaneous and thoughtless stupid thing,” he justified on Monday, August 31, in statements to Variety. “There was no ill intent and, of course, I apologize to anyone who felt offended,” he emphasized.
Mel Gibson is reportedly under fire for mocking an ASL interpreter at Fan Expo Canada: pic.twitter.com/hraMHz8og0
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 31, 2026
The viral video of Gibson supposedly mocking the sign language interpreter sparked a strong backlash against the actor and the Fan Expo itself for giving visibility to the controversial star. X users also began sharing a video of Alan Ritchson, star of the series Reacher, at the same event, praising him for shaking the sign language interpreter’s hand after finishing his Q&A session.
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During the event, Gibson, Oscar winner for Best Director and Best Picture for Braveheart in 1996, revealed new details about his two upcoming films of The Resurrection of Christ. The releases of this sequel to The Passion of the Christ, divided into two parts, are scheduled for May 2027 and May 2028, and according to Gibson, director of the films, filming has just finished. The story, starring Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus of Nazareth and Kasia Smutniak as Mary, will cover the events following the crucifixion, the days between Jesus’ death and return to life. Gibson also remains active in front of the cameras. Last year he starred in the film Blood Season and among his upcoming film projects are the thrillers The Canyon and Coyote.
One of the most notorious controversies involving the Australian actor was in 2006, when his reaction during a police arrest for drunk driving was leaked. “The fucking Jews are responsible for all the wars of humanity,” he said. The actor, who even denied the Holocaust, justified himself by saying he had taken eight double tequilas and counterattacked by presenting himself as a victim of a “ruthless” police officer. When he was arrested months later by another officer, he shouted: “I’m going to fuck you, I’m the owner of Malibu” or “What are you looking at, sweet tits?”. Another bomb that blew up his career in 2010 was the complaint filed by Oksana Grigorieva, his partner at the time, against him for domestic violence, after he broke several of her teeth in a struggle in which the actor was carrying a weapon while she was holding their baby.
The negative reaction against Gibson for his anti-Semitic statements and his March 2011 sentence to three years of probation—the penalty imposed after he did not resist a domestic violence charge—severely damaged his Hollywood career. The upcoming sequel to The Passion of the Christ could mark his return to box office success, considering that the original 2004 film grossed $612 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing R-rated film in nearly two decades.
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