Mel Gibson issues apology for mocking ASL interpreter at fan convention amid mounting backlash

“Sometimes spontaneous thoughtless idiocy is displayed” when “your mind is all over the place,” the “Passion of the Christ” director noted.

Mel Gibson has issued something like an apology after mocking an American Sign Language interpreter.

Gibson appeared at Toronto’s Constitution Hall on Aug. 29 for a FanExpo Canada event titled “From Braveheart to Mad Max: A Q&A With Mel Gibson.” Moderated by ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley, the Q&A led Gibson through his storied career, culminating in a round of dialogue between Gibson and convention attendees.

But this stop in the divisive actor-director’s return to the spotlight after years of controversy was overshadowed by something Gibson did before he even took his seat on stage. In fan-captured video, Gibson steps out from behind a curtain and immediately starts mimicking the hand gestures of an ASL interpreter at the front of the stage.

Backlash to the gesture was swift.

One commenter found Gibson’s gesture to be done in “poor taste,” while another suspected that “if one of his children was deaf, I’m sure he wouldn’t be doing that.”

In the aftermath, Gibson issued an apology that was shared with Entertainment Weekly. “Sometimes when you get pushed out on a stage in a spotlight your mind is all over the place, and sometimes spontaneous thoughtless idiocy is displayed,” he wrote. “There was no intended maliciousness attached, and I certainly apologize to anyone who was upset by it.”

Via: Entertainment Weekly