- Mel Gibson apologizes for mocking ASL interpreter at Fan Expo Canada.
- Incident occurred during panel moderated by Liam Crowley in Toronto.
- Social media users criticize Gibson, while deaf community expresses disappointment.
Mel Gibson has apologized for seemingly mocking an ASL interpreter onstage at Fan Expo Canada over the weekend.
The incident occurred Saturday (August 29) at the Toronto convention, where the actor joined a panel moderated by Liam Crowley. As Gibson walked onstage, he briefly stopped behind the interpreter, turned to face the crowd, and launched into a series of rapid, exaggerated hand gestures before shaking Crowley’s hand and taking his seat.
Gibson issued a statement to Page Six addressing the clip. “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,” he said. “There was no intended maliciousness attached, and I certainly apologize to anyone who was upset by it.”
The response online saw social media users call Gibson “despicable” and “a gross human being,” while members of the deaf community framed the moment as a setback for ASL’s ongoing push for recognition.
“Always disappointing to see my language mocked,” one ASL community member wrote. “We work hard to get our language recognized and be taken seriously.”
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