Winona Ryder has pegged Mel Gibson as anti-Semite and homophobe from long before his infamous 2006 DUI scandal.
Winona says in a Times of London interview that she ran into Gibson at a Hollywood party at least 15 years ago. I’ll tell you what: the party was very likely at late agent Ed Limato’s house. Limato used to throw lavish parties on Oscar weekend for his clients and other clients of his agency. I ran into Winona a couple of times at one of these soirees. I particularly remember the one from 2001, which I wrote about. Mel was there. This was before we knew all the terrible things we know now.
Ryder told the paper: “We were at a crowded party with one of my good friends, and Mel Gibson was smoking a cigar.” Gibson, upon learning she was Jewish, said, “You’re not an oven dodger, are you?” — an apparent reference to the way bodies of Jewish prisoners were incinerated in Nazi death camps.
Gibson also asked her friend, who is gay, “‘Oh, wait, am I gonna get AIDS?’”
Are we surprised? No. I wish Winona had remembered all this years ago when Gibson was revealed as anti-Semite who is also a Holocaust denier. What I do remember about that party is that Winona’s hair was dyed blonde for an Adam Sandler movie. That must have really confused Mel from Hell.
Anyway, Gibson is by and large finished in Hollywood. He can only get acting roles in D movies that he bankrolls. He still directs– see “Hacksaw Ridge”– but this new revelation should finish that off. One project Gibson was eyeing was another “Passion of Christ” movie. If theaters ever re-open, hopefully that one will be rejected.
Attention Jodie Foster: your tolerance of Gibson, and friendship, is not suiting you well.