Mel Gibson: ‘My anti-Semitic comments do not reflect the real me’

Actor/director Mel Gibson has written off his anti-Semitic remarks in 2006 as nothing more than an “unfortunate” drunken rant.
The star, who is currently receiving high praise for his new directorial project Hacksaw Ridge, was taken into custody for driving under the influence (DUI) a decade ago.
In the police report filed for the incident, he was revealed to have hurled a barrage of insults at the arresting officer, saying: “F**king Jews… the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world!”
Now, 10 years on from the controversial incident, Gibson insists the offensive remarks were fuelled by alcohol and are not an accurate reflection of who he is as a person.
“It was an unfortunate incident,” the 60-year-old said on Thursday (26Oct16) during an episode of Variety’s Playback podcast. “I was loaded (drunk) and angry and arrested. I was recorded illegally by an unscrupulous police officer who was never prosecuted for that crime. And then it was made public by him for profit, and by members of – we’ll call it the press. So, not fair. I guess as who I am, I’m not allowed to have a nervous breakdown, ever.”
Mel, who is set to become a father for the ninth time, claims he has not been able to fully recover from the fall out following his anti-Semitic comments, revealing the shadow of the scandal follows him around to this day: “Ten years have gone by. I’m feeling good. I’m sober, all of that kind of stuff, and for me it’s a dim thing in the past,” he explained. “But others bring it up, which… I find annoying, because I don’t understand why after 10 years it’s any kind of issue. Surely if I was really what they say I was, some kind of hater, there’d be evidence of actions somewhere. There never has been.”
“I’ve never discriminated against anyone or done anything that sort of supports that reputation,” Gibson added. “And for one episode in the back of a police car on eight double tequilas to sort of dictate all the work, life’s work and beliefs and everything else that I have and maintain for my life is really unfair.”