Gibson goes into rehab

Mel Gibson: has checked into rehab

12 April 2012

Mel Gibson has entered rehab to fight his alcoholism in the wake of his anti-Jewish tirade against two police officers when they stopped him for drink-driving.

The Lethal Weapon star's agent confirmed the actor was now having treatment for a drink problem and said the Oscar-winner was "trying to stay alive".

It comes as an official police report on Gibson's arrest substantiates allegations that he made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened a sheriff 's deputy.

When he was arrested, Gibson launched a foul-mouthed attack on the officers, claiming: "F****** Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

Although he issued a statement apologising for his " despicable" comments, there were fears that his career would be seriously affected - just as his new film Apocalypto was set to be released.

The star, a self-confessed alcoholic, was stopped by police early on Friday for speeding near his Malibu home.

A part-empty bottle of tequila was found in the car. While handcuffed, Gibson asked the officer if he was Jewish and launched the barrage of racist comments.

In his statement, he said: "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable."

He added he had fought alcoholism for all of his adult life and "profoundly regretted" his "horrific relapse". Yesterday, his publicist Alan Nierob said: "He has entered into an ongoing programme of recovery."

The Los Angeles police also hit back at accusations that Gibson has received special treatment and that attempts had been made to sanitise the reports as the actor has supported police charities.

Sheriff 's spokesman Steve Whitmore said: "It will not be sanitised, there is no favouritism." He said of the documentsto be sent to the district attorney: "In that case file will be his statement, will be our report, will be everything pertinent to his blood-alcohol level.

"We have done our job. We hope we've done it with not only professionalism and intelligence, but held to the highest standard of legal and moral imperative."

Gibson, 50, has previously participated in a Sheriff 's Department charity for the children of deputies killed on the job. But Mr Whitmore said Gibson was given no special treatment in his arrest. "I will say it as long as you wish me to: absolutely not," he told reporters.

He added that the department was "convinced because of our investigation and because of his own self-illuminating statement that he will be convicted of driving under the influence". Charges of anti-Semitism were also levelled against the actor-director when his 2004 film The Passion Of The Christ was released.

Gibson was stopped in his 2006 Lexus LS 430 for speeding when he was clocked doing 87mph in a 45mph zone on Pacific Coast Highway. A breath test indicated his blood-alcohol level was 0.12 per cent, while the legal limit in California is 0.08 per cent.

Gibson joins a number of Hollywood stars to have fallen foul of the law. Among those to have been arrested for driving under the influence are singer Glen Campbell, who crashed into another vehicle in Arizona in 2003, and actor Nick Nolte, who was stopped in Malibu in 2002.

Former Cheers star Woody Harrelson was arrested for disorderly conduct after punching a policeman who picked him up for being drunk in Columbus, Ohio, in 1982. Hugh Grant was arrested after being found in a car with a prostitute in Sunset Boulevard in 1995.

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