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Mel Gibson has apologized in the face of online backlash following an appearance on Saturday at Fan Expo Canada, where he appeared to mock an American Sign Language interpreter as he was welcomed on stage.
The Hollywood actor and The Passion of the Christ filmmaker was taking part in a Q&A about his career when, in a video making the rounds on social media, he apparently made hand gestures as he came out from behind a curtain and walked directly past an ASL interpreter.
“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 — there was no intended maliciousness attached, and I certainly apologize to anyone who was upset by it,” Gibson said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.
The online fury comes as Gibson and Lionsgate prepare to release the two-parter The Resurrection of Christ. The studio plans to roll out the first part on May 6, 2027. And the second part will premiere on May 25, 2028.
For now, Gibson’s reps have been left playing cleanup after the weekend incident at Fan Expo Canada. In an X post, one user wrote, “Always disappointing to see my language mocked. We work hard to get our language recognized and be taken seriously.”
In another X post, another user wrote, “I still like a couple of his movies, but him as a person, no way. I dislike him even more after this. What a jerk!”
In an Instagram post making the rounds from Fan Expo Canada, Reacher star Alan Ritchson is seen shaking hands with the same ASL interpreter as he leaves the stage to applause after his own event session. THR reached out to representatives for Fan Expo Canada for comment.
The Canadian fan event ran over the weekend through Sunday at the Metro Toronto Convention Center in Toronto.
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