Mel Gibson spent years as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars before becoming one of its most polarizing figures. His outspoken nature cost him roles and industry support. The recent FBI release of Jeffrey Epstein files now prompts a second look at his early warnings about corruption and exploitation among entertainment elites, and calling Hollywood a predatory, soul-crushing, and almost demonic environment.
Gibson grew up far from Los Angeles glamour. Born in New York and raised in Australia, he studied theater after high school. In the 1999, a Hollywood Conversations interview with Mike Figgis showed him calling acting professional lying, and said performers must fake emotions to avoid personal damage from constant vulnerability they’re exposed to. He hated auditions and labeled them emotional prostitution. That interview also contained some shocking revelations about his thoughts on Hollywood, and its dark side, which in light of the recent Epstein files being dumped, have taken on new meaning.
The remarks at the time were portrayed in the media as the rantings of a lunatic, but his comments calling Hollywood “a bizarre place” where “some of your worst nightmares were real” align with what we know about the entertainment industry. In the interview snippets below (full length interview here), Gibson says Hollywood “can humiliate you… it does rip your life to pieces if you’ll let it. It’s always pounding at the walls—these little guys, these little heathens with no soul downstairs with horns on their head with a battering ram trying to beat your walls in.”
Mel Gibson 1998 exposing Hollywood in subtle ways (without scoring)
Gibson hit Hollywood big-time with Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. He directed and starred in Braveheart, which won multiple Oscars. The Passion of the Christ followed in 2004. That film showed Jesus final hours with raw violence. Some praised its faith impact. Others called it antisemitic. It earned over $600 million worldwide. More than once, Gibson has spoken plainly about power structures. In a 1995 Playboy interview, he called Bill Clinton a front man for hidden forces, and tied leaders to Rhodes Scholars and a “new world order” push using Marxism. People labeled him a conspiracy theorist then, as he described Hollywood as a weird town where nightmares proved real. Now it seems a lot of what he was saying has proved to be true.
A 2006 drunk driving arrest brought about some ugly antisemitic remarks, for which Gibson apologized and admitted lifelong alcoholism struggles, but Hollywood sidelined him for years after that. Even 5 years later he was still being blacklisted. Jodie Foster had to publicly defend her decision to cast him in The Beaver. Gibson continued to work on much smaller productions, such as Get the Gringo and Machete Kills, but any real success eluded him until he returned as executive producer on Sound of Freedom in 2023. The film covered child trafficking and grossed $180 million despite media backlash and suppression.
In light of the shocking truths now emerging from government records about Jeffrey Epstein, Gibson’s earlier warnings about hidden predators, shadow systems, and an entertainment industry that rewards exploitation now carry a different weight. Whether his past comments were fear-driven speculation or early evidence of what he had witnessed around him, the public is once again forced to consider that he may have been closer to the truth than anyone wanted to admit.
The Justice Department released over three million Epstein pages last week. Documents name politicians, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, as well as business leaders, and celebrities linked to the financier. Bill Gates denied island visits, but his ex-wife seemed to confirm them. British and Norwegian royals faced new email details with some stepping down from their positions of power. Uncensored victim names and images sparked DOJ backlash and removals, as lawmakers demanded more accountability from Epstein associates.
Gibson’s comments preceded these revelations. He flagged human trafficking and spiritual battles over souls. The Epstein files confirm elite networks abused power and minors. His Hollywood suspicions now align with documented facts from federal records.
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English (US) · 