Mel Gibson has apologized “to anyone who was upset” after a viral video appeared to show him mocking an American Sign Language interpreter by mimicking her hand gestures behind her back at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto over the weekend.

After the clip drew criticism on social media, Gibson said in a statement shared with Deadline that “there was no intended maliciousness attached, and I certainly apologize to anyone who was upset by it.”

“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,” added the Oscar-winning director and actor.

Gibson shot to fame in the late 1970s and became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1980s and 1990s, with roles in high-profile movies including the “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon” franchises and “Braveheart.”

But his career was later overshadowed by a series of controversies.

In 2006, Gibson made antisemitic remarks after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Malibu.

Gibson has backed Donald Trump for years and, in 2025, was named by the president as one of his “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, alongside fellow Trump supporters Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight.

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