PREACH IT! The Mel Gibson mess: Could it get any worse? [Updated]

Before we go any further into the world of Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva, let's answer the question posed in the headline: Yes, it can get worse, as Radar Online on Friday afternoon posted audio it says is the taped rant we've been hearing about since the beginning of the month.

Just more evidence that the breakup story grows more complicated by the hour. If the stories that are emerging are even a tiny bit accurate, they make Gibson look more violent and out of control that ever. The latest, per TMZ:

• Grigorieva told the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that Gibson hit her and knocked out a tooth. Through his attorneys, Gibson has denied the allegation.
• Grigorieva, the mother of the couple’s baby daughter, also alleges that Mel threatened her with a handgun, though there’s no additional evidence to back up her claim at this time.
• Gibson also may have hit Grigorieva while she was holding their baby, but again, no additional details.

[Updated at 3:45 p.m.: One more thing just in -- Mel's agency has dropped him. Gibson's team was informed earlier this week by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment that the company will no longer represent the actor, the Hollywood Reporter says. Gibson's agent of 32 years, Ed Limato, died July 3.]

As for any potential criminal charges headed Gibson’s way, it’s too soon to tell. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office recently told E! that the investigation is, in essence, still ongoing.

"We have no case. They have not handed it over to us," spokeswoman Jane Robison told E! News. "Once they complete their investigation it would be routine if they handed it over to us, but we have no comment because nothing has been turned over yet."

Hollywood, which is loath to abandon even the nuttiest of talent if it means a few extra bucks ... 

... seems to be taking advantage of the delay by lying low and seeing how things shake out. Gibson recently wrapped shooting on the prison picture "How I Spent My Summer Vacation," and there’s no official word on the project’s release being shelved or pushed. Meanwhile, casting agents have told the Ministry that Gibson is pretty much poison right now, but -- amazingly, some may say -- he likely won’t stay that way forever. Hollywood essentially forgave him once, and, we’re told, we shouldn’t be shocked if they do it again. There’s simply too much money to be made, and America loves to forgive wayward celebrities.

If, that is, they apologize -- which, in this particular instance, Gibson has yet to do. Then again, it’s still not really clear whether Grigorieva’s accusations hold any serious legal weight.


Officially, there’s no comment yet out of Mel Gibson’s camp, but we’ll keep you posted.

-- Leslie Gornstein

Photo: Oksana Grigorieva and Mel Gibson at the Spanish premiere of his film "Edge of Darkness" in Madrid on Feb. 1, 2010. Credit: Juan Medina/ Reuters

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

PREACH IT! Mel Gibson isn’t sorry, never was, end of story

Mel Gibson sells his Connecticut estate home, finally

Report: Mel Gibson hurls the N-word and more in rants taped by Oksana Grigorieva

Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva teams trade accusations [Poll]

PREACH IT! Mel Gibson is in the hot seat -- again

Mel Gibson's ex Oksana Grigorieva hints at breakup scandal

Or click and scroll to tour the Preach It! archives.

Comments

[Melissaisahack]

Follow the money. Mel has committed more than the crimes he's currently being scrutinized for. A man who would steal from his children would do anything.

[G]

Mel Gibson is immensely entertaining, onscreen of course.

I can't recall a movie featuring this guy that wasn't enjoyable.

I feel I'm losing a battle to reduce my dissonance about his offscreen antics and prejudices.

Wish he'd just shut-up and act, shut-up and direct. Find some real peace.

[quit wasting my tax money]

Mel has lost his mind.

[underscore]

When it comes to Mel Gibson, it seems that the bad stuff about him instantly rises to the top of the media heap and the good stuff gets conveniently buried. There was never any media mention of Gibson donating large sums to help build houses for the poor in Mexico's Veracruz state during the filming of "Apocalypto" (Mel has shown his philanthropic side to Mexico in the past, donating $1 million to the victims of hurricane Stan as well).

[carol irvin]

I've listened to both tapes on Radar Online. This man is seriously mentally ill. Unfortunately, he has enough money to hire a slew of legal experts to keep him from being committed to a psychiatric hospital, which is what he desperately needs. This is a man who has made his living for over 30 years by being extremely able to play make believe really, really well. Right away this puts him on dangerous mental health turf. Add to that the fact that he has been an alcoholic for about the same period of time and obviously is in the later stages of alcoholism now. He also sounds ill physically on the tape. He can barely catch his breath and pants endlessly (also a smoker for 40 years). He also looks bad and this goes beyond mere normal aging (especially for someone who was gorgeous most of his life).

As for what he says and does. Religious mania and fervor can be signs of mental illness. Also, his hatred of almost all groups, other than ones he belongs to (white, Catholic males presumably), could be caused by his ever increasing state of paranoia.

Yes, he is dangerous. Yes, he should be on a locked psychiatric ward. Even this girlfriend says at one point on the tape, "You need to take medication." He gets even madder when she says this, the usual response.

I frankly would be surprised if he is even alive much longer. Every illness he has is long term, untreated and now totally out of control. Before he hurts or kills someone, he should be brought under control, just like Brittany Spears' father was forced to do for her own safety and the safety of her children. He needs a court appointed conservator, a psychiatrist and to go through detox. Full time and all the time.

[Jerry Hosti]

Go Mel!

You rock!

[Jerry Hosti]

Mel is not a Racist.

[gerry]

carol, people with mental illness do not exhibit the abiltiy to control their anger when not around vulnerable targets. There is no indication that he is not doing this fully aware. There is a difference between someone who has learned that he can test the boundaries and someone who has an illness and Mel seems to be the former, in other words, he just gets off on it and waits for a time when he can say things to a vulnerable person. He happened to run into a gold digger, but it does not matter because it could have been anyone. I know that this concept is hard for people to accept and the PC thing these days is to say that everyone is suffering from some mysterious thing that makes them unable to control their actions, but sometimes people really are just criminals or have behavioral (not mental) issues and need to simply be locked up or mandated to take group anger mangement courses. Partners of these relationships should resist the "mommy" urge and not try to find more ways to keep tabs (using the mental health system as a way to always be connected) because many cases that is the sign of an addiction to an unhealthy relationship masked as care. It is no good for either person. And people are just as capable of using religion or any organization to deliberately target weak people. He should be put in jail if he breaks the law again, kept away from women and people that he targets. This indicates an ideology about women he expresses through violence and insults when alone, not an inborn mental problem. Medicine does not correct an ideology where the person is clearly intent. People use the mental health system because it is easy and it gets clogged with run of the mill criminals and all kinds of people that can only be held for two days because they have no actual diagnosis. It wastes even more taxpayer dollars than jail or court ordered anger/alcohol courses because there are additional things involved for a person's care that often go wasted on people who don't need it.

[Daisy]

This is what happens when 'that' type of a girl uses the rich and famous guy to get the money and fame! A man who tought she could love him... She wasnt worth to leave a wife and kids for her! She has a baby with another famous actor what proves she is just using her so called charm to get what she wants...She is just playing, that's all. I am not a racist but I don't like her at all! She was the reason why Mel's marriage ended and now she faces the consequences! She should have been aware the price has to be paid for destroying someone else's marriage and the family life! If what Mel did to her is true, although I do not approve that, I think she is to be blamed too! She is not that innocent victim as she is trying to play for the media!

[valeri]

Is Roxana Grigorieve Octomom's sister???
They look alike to me....Both looking for fame, both fake.