Mel Gibson has spent decades in Hollywood, but some encounters left wounds that never healed. From volatile party confrontations to bitter ideological clashes, the actor-director has publicly and privately feuded with some of the industry’s biggest names. One of the most explosive conflicts began in the 1990s at a Hollywood party. Winona Ryder has long alleged that Gibson made vile remarks when he saw her gay friend, including a cruel joke about AIDS.
She also claims he referred to her with a slur connected to the Holocaust, a moment she described as painful, shocking, and unforgettable. The incident was not reported at the time, but it resurfaced in 2020 when Ryder spoke about it in an interview with the Sunday Times. Gibson’s publicist responded that the accusation was “100% untrue,” claiming Ryder had lied about it years earlier. The denial did little to settle the matter, especially given Gibson’s own 2006 DUI arrest, during which he launched an anti-Semitic tirade.
Ryder has never backed down from her account, and the feud has become a lasting symbol of prejudice and silence in the industry. Another strange episode involved Christopher Walken. During the mid-2000s, Gibson met with the actor on a New York hotel rooftop to discuss a potential film project. Gibson later said the meeting felt deeply unsettling from the start.
He claimed Walken moved oddly, almost floating, and began speaking in graphic detail about torture scenes unprompted. Gibson also said a neon sign bearing the numbers 666 blinked nearby during the conversation. For Gibson, who had explored spiritual themes in The Passion of the Christ, the moment felt like a bad omen. He turned to his assistant and said, “We’re not doing this.
Let’s go. ” The project never moved forward, and Gibson never worked with Walken again, reportedly joking later that Walken gave off “Antichrist energy. ”
The tension with Pedro Pascal is more ideological than personal. Gibson has criticized Pascal for mixing politics with performance, claiming the actor posts opinions on immigration and gun control and receives praise because his views align with Hollywood elites.
Gibson reportedly called Pascal’s roles “cookie cutter,” always playing the same brooding protector. Pascal has been vocal on social issues since 2020, supporting Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ rights, which Gibson saw as a double standard given his own cancellations. Robert De Niro once earned Gibson’s deep admiration. Gibson had long praised the legendary actor behind Raging Bull and Taxi Driver.
But over the 2010s, De Niro became increasingly political, most notably yelling “Fuck Trump” onstage at the 2018 Tony Awards. Gibson reportedly called the speeches exhausting, divisive, and performative, saying De Niro had become a mouthpiece rather than an artist. The two never worked together, and after 2015, they reportedly avoided the same events entirely. The 2021 Rust tragedy triggered Gibson’s fury toward Alec Baldwin.
When Baldwin’s prop gun fired on set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza, Gibson was outraged by what he saw as a double standard. He believed that had he been responsible, his career would have ended. Gibson also condemned Baldwin’s handling of the situation, especially his claim in an ABC interview that he didn’t pull the trigger, which Gibson saw as cowardly. He allegedly said, “Say you made a mistake.
Be a man. ”
Tom Hanks represents everything Gibson distrusts about the polished side of Hollywood. In private, Gibson has said Hanks is untouchable and questioned how anyone avoids controversy in the industry. He reportedly believes Hanks hides aspects of Hollywood’s darker side to protect his image, saying, “He plays the saint.
” The two have never had a direct confrontation, but Gibson’s resentment runs deep. Will Ferrell was another favorite turned source of frustration. Gibson once loved the absurd humor of Anchorman and Old School, but as Ferrell became more outspoken about climate change, gun laws, and politics, Gibson felt comedy had become weaponized. He recalled a 2016 backstage encounter where Ferrell ranted about the presidential election, and Gibson told a friend, “I came to laugh, not get a lecture.
” The man who once made millions laugh, Gibson said, had become “just loud. ”
The most personal fallout was with Jodie Foster. In 2011, Foster defended Gibson publicly when he was at his lowest, calling him one of the most loving and loyal people she had known. Gibson felt deep gratitude for her loyalty.
But around 2015, as Gibson staged his comeback with Hacksaw Ridge, Foster went quiet. She never criticized him, but she stopped appearing at his premieres and backing him publicly. Gibson reportedly felt abandoned, later calling her “a ghost, someone I respected who vanished. ”
Seth Rogen’s feud with Gibson was more direct.
Rogan rose to fame with weed-fueled comedies and later blended humor with social commentary, criticizing Gibson as a relic of old Hollywood. Gibson fired back privately, saying Rogan “thinks smoking weed makes him a political genius. ” In 2020, Gibson allegedly challenged Rogan to a public debate with cameras rolling, but Rogan never answered. For Gibson, the silence proved his point: “He talks big, but he’s not about truth, just headlines.
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Behind all of these feuds lies Gibson’s greatest adversary: Hollywood itself. Once one of the industry’s top stars, Gibson won Oscars and produced billion-dollar hits. But after his scandals, he believes the system abandoned him. In his view, the industry enforces double standards, forgiving some completely while erasing others for smaller mistakes.
When The Passion of the Christ grossed over $600 million worldwide, he felt it was ignored by award shows because it didn’t fit the mold. Gibson admits his past failures but argues Hollywood cares more about control than art. “Hollywood was my home,” he once said. “Now, it’s the place that locked me out.
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