Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson is back at the centre of Hollywood, directing blockbusters, cast as a Trump envoy, and with his firearm rights freshly restored, his second act is impossible to ignore.

By Alexandre Le Hégarat · datastats · Updated June 15, 2026

Mel Gibson is an American-Australian actor and filmmaker born on 3 January 1956, who became a global superstar through the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon franchises before pivoting into one of Hollywood’s most commercially potent directing careers. His 1995 epic Braveheart won him Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, a rare double that cemented his place in film history.

His directorial output since then has been equally striking: The Passion of the Christ (2004) became one of the highest-grossing R-rated films ever made, and Hacksaw Ridge (2016) earned him another Best Director Oscar nomination and introduced him to a new generation of filmgoers.

As of early 2025, Gibson is more active than he has been in years. He directed Flight Risk, released in January 2025, and his long-anticipated two-part biblical epic The Resurrection of the Christ has wrapped filming, with Part One slated for 2027 and Part Two for 2028. In January 2025, President Trump named him a special ambassador to Hollywood, a characteristically provocative appointment that sparked intense discussion.

Gibson’s career has not been without serious controversy. A 2006 DUI arrest in Malibu was accompanied by widely reported antisemitic remarks, for which he publicly apologised. A 2011 misdemeanor domestic-violence matter resulted in a no-contest plea. These are documented historical events with no current criminal proceedings attached. In April 2025, the U.S. Justice Department restored his firearm rights, which had been revoked following the 2011 matter.

Love him or loathe him, Gibson remains one of the few filmmakers in Hollywood whose name alone can greenlight a project and ignite a culture-war debate simultaneously.

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Gibson has long been associated with Malibu, California, where he has owned property for decades. He also has ties to Australia, where he lived and built his early career. His precise current primary residence is not publicly confirmed.

Gibson holds dual American-Australian nationality. He was born in Peekskill, New York, USA, but moved to Australia with his family as a child and launched his acting career there, making him genuinely claimed by both countries.

Mel Gibson was born on 3 January 1956, which makes him 69 years old as of 2025. He shows no signs of slowing down, with multiple directing projects in the pipeline.

Gibson is widely reported to stand around 5 ft 9 in (175 cm). That's average by most measures, though his on-screen presence has always made him seem larger than life.

Gibson and Russian musician Oksana Grigorieva had a relationship that produced a daughter, Lucia, born in 2009, but ended acrimoniously. The split became very public and ugly, involving leaked recordings and legal disputes. Gibson entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor domestic-violence charge related to the matter in 2011, a documented, resolved legal case with no current criminal proceedings.

His acting career took a severe hit after the 2006 DUI and antisemitic remarks, and again after the 2011 misdemeanor matter, Hollywood's door effectively shut on him for several years. He staged a notable comeback through directing: Hacksaw Ridge (2016) reminded the industry of his talent and earned him an Oscar nomination. He has since taken acting roles again and remains in demand as a director.

Gibson's net worth is frequently cited in celebrity media as being in the hundreds of millions of dollars, largely built on his blockbuster acting career and the extraordinary box-office success of The Passion of the Christ, which he self-financed. However, no verified, audited figure is publicly on record, so any specific number should be treated as an estimate.

Gibson is a Traditional Latin Mass (Tridentine) Catholic, a conservative branch of Catholicism that rejects the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. His faith is the direct driving force behind The Passion of the Christ and his forthcoming The Resurrection of the Christ.

Gibson's first wife, Robyn Moore, filed for divorce in 2009 after 28 years of marriage. No official reason was ever confirmed by either party; the split coincided with the public fallout from his 2006 controversy and his relationship with Oksana Grigorieva. Robyn has never given a detailed public explanation, so any specific cause remains unconfirmed.

Braveheart was released in 1995, when Gibson was 39 years old. He both directed and starred in the film as William Wallace, a grueling dual role that won him two Oscars.

As of publicly available information, Gibson is not confirmed to be currently married. He divorced his first wife Robyn Moore in 2011. His relationship status beyond that is not officially confirmed, reports of a long-term partner have circulated, but no marriage has been publicly announced or verified.

Gibson's only confirmed wife is Robyn Moore, whom he married in 1980 and divorced in 2011 after 28 years. There is no publicly confirmed current wife.

There is no publicly confirmed current wife. Gibson has been linked to various partners since his 2011 divorce from Robyn Moore, but no subsequent marriage has been officially announced or documented.

Gibson has nine children in total. With his first wife Robyn Moore he has seven: Hannah, Edward, Christian, William, Louis, Milo, and Tommy. He has a daughter, Lucia, born in 2009 with Oksana Grigorieva. Reports also indicate a ninth child with girlfriend Rosalind Ross, born around 2017, named Lars Gerard Gibson.

The 'cancellation' stems primarily from his 2006 DUI arrest, during which he made widely reported antisemitic remarks, he later issued a public apology. The 2011 misdemeanor domestic-violence no-contest plea compounded the reputational damage. Hollywood froze him out for years, though he has since clawed his way back through strong directorial work.

He was never formally 'banned', Hollywood doesn't work that way, but studios and talent agencies distanced themselves from him following the 2006 antisemitic remarks during his DUI arrest and the 2011 domestic-violence matter. It was an industry cold shoulder, not a legal prohibition, and it has thawed considerably since Hacksaw Ridge's success.

Gibson's divorce from Robyn Moore was finalized in 2011 after she filed in 2009. No specific reason was ever officially stated. The split came during a period of intense personal and public turmoil, including his relationship with Oksana Grigorieva. The actual grounds remain unconfirmed beyond what is publicly known.

Celebrity outlets frequently estimate his net worth in the hundreds of millions, with The Passion of the Christ, which he self-financed and which grossed over $600 million worldwide, cited as a major source. No verified, audited figure exists publicly, so treat any precise number as an informed estimate, not a confirmed fact.

His real name is Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, no stage name involved. He has always performed under his actual birth name.

Gibson directed Flight Risk, released in January 2025. His biggest upcoming project is the two-part biblical epic The Resurrection of the Christ, a sequel to The Passion of the Christ, with Part One slated for 2027 and Part Two for 2028. He has also stated his intention to direct Lethal Weapon 5, though that project is announced but not confirmed as in active production.