LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Oscar-winning actor Mel Gibson’s younger brother Donal Gibson revealed they shared an “unassailable bond” before Mel’s 2004 film ‘The Passion Of The Christ’ created differences between them. The film, which was shot in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin, became the highest-grossing independent movie of all time and made a profit of $612 million. And Mel, who largely self-financed the film, became worth hundreds of millions of dollars overnight. However, this led to “a disaster” for Donal as many slammed the film as antisemitic for its portrayal of Jews and bashed it for its extreme violence.
Donal told DailyMail that he asked Mel for financial help but Mel turned him down saying, "Your problems are your own." He said, "I was getting regular work before 'Passion Of The Christ' but I think people thought Mel was an antisemite so they thought I was too. I believe I was blacklisted. Mel was OK because he had millions pouring into the bank."
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'The Gibson name was toxic'
Talking about Mel's drink-driving arrest in Malibu in 2006 and his leaked tapes in 2010 where Mel allegedly screamed racist remarks and used the N-word at then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, the mother of one of his nine children, Donal said, "Hollywood is a one-industry town and when Mel went nuclear and made those abhorrent remarks about Jews when he was arrested, my work dried up overnight."
The actor added, "I believe Mel’s actions meant I couldn’t get work. The Gibson name was toxic. My agent dumped me. The phone stopped ringing. People associated the Gibson name with bigotry, racism, cruelty, hatred and rage. I’d been working with big studios such as Warner Brothers and Disney. Overnight it stopped."
Donal believes his brother should have compensated for the "pain and suffering" he and his wife Shanas went through. Stating why he should have done that, Donal said, "Because we have been stuck in nearly 20 years of hell."
Whenever he asked Mel for money, he got agitated. "He shouted at me, telling me if I was upset by the Gibson name I should change my name. He screamed: 'You can’t guilt me on this' and 'your problems are your own!'" said Donal, who then compared the Hemsworth brothers – Chris, Liam, and Luke. He said, "Other families look after each other. The Hemsworth brothers live near each other, support each other."
'I hate what he has become'
Donal recollected their childhood, being born in upstate New York, and that they were two of 11 children to parents Hutton Gibson and Anne Reilly. "Mel was two years older," he said and added, "We were dirt poor and often went hungry but we loved each other. We jumped out of hayloft windows. We skated on thin ice, literally. We played at soldiers. We dodged lightning. We got chased every day by a Great Dane called Duchess."
"Mel and I were once so close that I find it unbelievable that we’re not talking, that we’re not in touch. When we were kids we shared a bedroom, we did everything together," shared Donal.
He further added, "Fame changed him. He started believing in his own publicity. The Mel I knew disappeared. Hollywood ate him up and spat him out. To me, the fame, the money, it all went to his head and created a monster. I hate what he has become."
Who is Donal Gibson?
Born on February 13, 1958, in Peekskill, New York, as per Fandom, Donal did mall roles in films like 'Immortal Beloved' and also worked as a voiceover artist for TV shows like 'Justice League Unlimited'. He is majorly known for roles in 1994's 'Maverick', 1995's 'Braveheart' with brother Mel who played the lead, and 'Conspiracy Theory' in 1997, states IMDb.
Talking about his brother, who is set to make a sequel of ‘The Passion Of The Christ’, Donal said, "When I heard he was making a sequel I had to speak out. Religious films only create dissension, fear, and anger. They do not unify people, they divide people. I don’t want to bring my other siblings into this because Mel is the rich and successful one and I think there is a feeling among some that they don’t want to upset him. I still love Mel but I don’t know who he is any more. I want him to make things right between us. I want to live in peace."