Mel Gibson Removed From New Orleans Parade After Backlash
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Mel Gibson. Photo: YouTube screenshot.
Hollywood director and actor Mel Gibson will no longer be the co-grand marshal of the 2023 New Orleans Parade, organizers announced after facing public scrutiny and threats for inviting the Academy Award winner, who has a history of making antisemitic and racist comments, to participate in the event.
Gibson, 67, was set to appear in the Krewe of Endymion parade on February 18, but his involvement in the parade was slammed by The Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Clergy Council and the Jewish Community Relations Council.
In 2006, as the “Lethal Weapon” star was being arrested for speeding and driving while under the influence, he infamously when on an anti-Jewish tirade, telling the arresting officer “f**king Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.” He later apologized for his remarks.
Jewish actress Winona Ryder claimed that Gibson once called her an “oven dodger” — a reference to the crematoria at Nazi concentration camps during World War II — and asked her friend who was gay, “Oh wait, am I gonna get AIDS?” “The Patriot” star, who denied Ryder’s accusations, was also previously caught on tape making racist and misogynistic remarks to his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
Parade organizers announced Gibson as co-grand marshal of their event on Saturday night on social media, but by Sunday afternoon they reversed their decision. Endymion President Dan Kelly said in a statement, “The Krewe of Endymion has received significant feedback about our grand marshal announcement. Some of this commentary included threats that cause us great concern. In the best interest of the safety of our riders, special guests and everyone that welcomes us on the streets, Mel Gibson will not ride as a co-grand marshal for our 2023 parade.”
Kelly added, “Our inclusion of Mr. Gibson was meant to be in recognition of his acting career and was in no way meant to give credence to his statements otherwise. We regret this incident and will do better in the future.” He also said that event organizers will revise its selection process for celebrity grand marshals.
He told NOLA.com, “Endymion’s process for selection… while internal, will be reviewed going forward, so as to create a more thorough discussion of potential candidates.” Previous celebrity grand marshals have included Anderson Cooper, Kelly Ripa, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Steven Tyler, Pitbull, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kiss and Flo-Rida.
In a joint statement, the ADL, Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Clergy Council and the Jewish Community Relations Council said they were “appalled that Endymion chose Mel Gibson as the parade’s 2023 Grand Marshal to begin with.”
“Mel Gibson has a long history of making antisemitic, racist and misogynistic slurs. While the actor has made half-hearted attempts to apologize for his remarks over the years, there is still a great deal of pain associated with his name and deep wounds in the Jewish community from those controversies, which may never heal,” the organizations said. “Given his history of fueling antisemitism and other forms of hate, we find his choice as grand marshal of Endymion was completely insulting and shortsighted.”
“We hope the Endymion leadership will take the opportunity to learn why the selection of Mel Gibson caused such pain and disappointment to the Jewish community as well as the marginalized communities he has harmed in the past.”
