Mel Gibson tipped his hat to Robert Downey Jr. and praised his co-star for pushing Hollywood to give him a second chance when the entire industry wrote him off after his 2006 arrest.
Even after years have passed, Mel expressed gratitude towards his former wingman from “Air America” in a new Esquire profile on Robert, who is fresh off an Oscar win for his role in “Oppenheimer.”
“One time, I got into a bit of a sticky situation where it kind of ended my career. I was drunk in the back of a police car and I said some stupid shit, and all of a sudden: blacklisted. I’m the poster boy for canceled,” Mel told the outlet.
Mel Gibson said Robert Downey Jr. stood up for him when the rest of Hollywood canceled him after his 2006 arrest
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The "Braveheart" actor was referring to his 2006 arrest in Malibu for driving under the influence, spurring headlines across the world for the anti-Semitic comments he made at the time.
“Gibson blurted out a barrage of anti-Semitic remarks about '[profanity redacted] Jews.' Gibson yelled out, 'The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.' Gibson then asked, 'Are you a Jew?'" a police report said following the incident.
Mel Gibson's DUI arrest sparked widespread controversy after he made anti-Semitic comments during the incident
After the arrest, Mel said he was “nonexistent” in Hollywood until the "Iron Man" star, who is Jewish, said he deserved a second chance.
"A couple of years into that he invited me to some kind of award he was getting—we always had this kind of seesaw thing, where if he was on the wagon, I was falling off, and if I was on the wagon, he was falling off," Mel told Esquire. "So I was pretty much nonexistent in Hollywood at the time, and he stood up and spoke for me. It was a bold and generous and kind gesture. I loved him for that."
The event Mel was referring to was the 2011 American Cinematheque Awards ceremony, during which Robert, who has also had his own second chances in Hollywood, asked members of the industry to forgive Mel for “his trespasses.”
Robert Downey Jr., who is Jewish, asked Hollywood to join him in forgiving "[his] friend" at the 2011 event
"When I couldn't get sober, he told me not to give up hope and encouraged me to find my faith. It didn't have to be his or anyone else's, as long as it was rooted in forgiveness. And I couldn't get hired, so he cast me in the lead of a movie that was actually developed for him,” Robert said about his Hollywood comeback following his battle with addiction.
“I would ask that you join me,” he continued, “unless you are completely without sin, in which case you picked the wrong f---ing industry, in forgiving my friend his trespasses and offering him the same clean slate you have me, allowing him to continue his great and ongoing contribution to our collective art without shame.”