Mel Gibson Controversy Gets Him Removed From One Of The World’s Largest Parades
Mel Gibson has been removed as co-Grand Marshal from one of New Orleans' largest Mardi Gras parades following community backlash.
Mel Gibson was one of the most popular and in-demand actors throughout the 1980s and 1990s, becoming one of the biggest heartthrobs in the industry. However, he is no stranger to controversy and eventually became one of the first big names to fall victim to cancel culture due to widespread knowledge of hateful and antisemitic remarks. According to Fox 8, a New Orleans affiliate, the Lethal Weapon actor’s troubling remarks and past have come back to haunt him again, as he has now been removed from a prestigious and honorable role as co-Grand Marshal of the 2023 Mardi Gras Parade.
Krewe of Endymion is one of the largest super krews and social clubs in New Orleans, and with its 3,000 riders, has become one of the largest parades contributing to the yearly Mardi Gras celebration. Yesterday, the organization announced that they would host celebrities Mel Gibson and Tulane University football coach Willie Fritz as the co-Grand Marshals of the parade, only to announce today that the former has been removed. They cite threats that cause them great concern and pulled the Mad Max actor for the safety of their riders.
Yesterday, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and the Jewish Community Relations Council released a statement that expressed the groups were upset that the council would choose the 67-year-old actor in the first place. They cited Mel Gibson’s antisemitic remarks as evidence of why they should have known better, and in response, the Krewe of Endymion received significant backlash, causing them to remove him from the lineup and leave Willie Fritz as the sole Grand Marshal. While the group did say they had removed the actor, they did not offer any further details about the threats they had received that caused them so much concern.
Mel Gibson made a name for himself in the ’80s as the title role in the Mad Max franchise, which virtually kick-started the entire dystopian future cinematic genre. He then anchored another franchise as one-half of the buddy cop duo in the action comedy franchise, Lethal Weapon with Danny Glover. Those two franchises alone have had him star in nearly 10 movies, with one more in the works for the latter.
He then moved on from those in the ’90s and starred in a couple of massive successes revolving around loosely adapted historical fiction. He starred as Benjamin Martin in the Revolutionary War epic, The Patriot, which also starred Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs, and Tom Wilkinson. And he found success behind the camera as well as in front, directing and starring in the Academy Award-winning film, Braveheart.
His troubles began with an assault and battery charge, and he also was accused of calling fellow actor Winona Ryder an “oven dodger.” His antisemitic remarks continued when he was arrested for a DUI, screamed that Jewish people were responsible for all wars worldwide, and used racial slurs. While these incidents may seem like years ago, and his Hollywood career is still steaming forward, the backlash proves that there is still deep hurt in the marginalized community where Mel Gibson is concerned.
