Donald Trump has appointed controversial actor and director Mel Gibson, who has a history of well-documented antisemitic remarks, to a newly created position as “Special Ambassador” to Hollywood, alongside fellow conservative celebrities Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, the President-elect announced the appointment, describing America’s filmmaking hub as “a great but very troubled place” and emphasising that the trio would be his “eyes and ears” in the entertainment industry.
"They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK-BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE”, he wrote.
While Hollywood’s Golden Age was built by Jewish talent, Gibson has been a polarising figure in its recent landscape, particularly due to a notorious antisemitic outburst in 2006.
During a drunk driving arrest, the Braveheart star shouted, “F***ing Jews,” and blamed Jews for all the wars in the world, for which he later apologised.
This outburst followed the release of his film The Passion of the Christ, which drew sharp criticism from Jewish groups for its depiction of Jews, which they claimed reinforced harmful stereotypes about Jewish responsibility for Jesus’ death.
His reputation suffered further after allegedly making racist remarks on a voicemail to his then-partner and antisemitic comments to actress Winona Ryder, which Gibson denied.
Despite these controversies, Gibson slowly regained favour in Hollywood, with his 2016 World War II film Hacksaw Ridge receiving critical acclaim and Oscar nominations.
Gibson, who lost his Malibu home in the LA wildfires, expressed his surprise at the role but told Sky News he would “heed the call,” adding humorously, “Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador's residence?”
Gibson’s relationship with Trump has been public for some years, with the actor openly offering his support during the 2020 election.
Trump has vowed to combat antisemitism during his second term, though this latest appointment has drawn criticism from the Jewish community.
Gibson, who was raised in a family with strong traditionalist Catholic and antisemitic beliefs, continues to carry a controversial legacy.
His father, Hutton Gibson, was a prominent Holocaust denier and conspiracy theorist, and Mel Gibson’s comments and actions over the years have frequently fuelled criticism from Jewish communities.
