Mexicans get flak from Mel Gibson's latest rant

Mel Gibson’s terrible week just got worse as in a fresh recording posted online this week, the Oscar-winning “Braveheart” director uses racial language to disparage a Hispanic cleaning lady.

The recording, allegedly made in a screaming phone argument with  his Russian-born ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, follows the release of earlier rants in which Gibson refers to black people as “niggers”, calls Grigorieva a “whore” and a “bitch in heat”, and apparently acknowledges beating her.

In one tape “Lethal Weapon” star Gibson even reportedly threatened to kill Grigorieva. “I’ll put you in a fucking rose garden, you cunt,” he cried in one tape, then later says: “You need  a bat to the side of the head.”   

The recordings were leaked to the celebrity site Radaronline.com, with no indication of where they came from. While they have not been authenticated, Gibson has not issued any denial since they began surfacing on Friday.

   The tapes conclude the ugly breakup between Grigorieva, 40, and Gibson, 54, following a January 6 beating she allegedly took from him. Gibson is accused of knocking out some of Grigorieva’s teeth in the fracas.

   Gibson and Grigorieva fathered a girl, Lucia, in October, months  after the “Mad Max” star divorced Robyn, his wife of nearly 30 years and mother of his first seven children.

   In the latest recording, Gibson and Grigorieva argue over a woman that cleans their home. Gibson insists the woman can only work for him, but Grigorieva says she needs her more because she is  caring for their child.

   “I will fire (the cleaning lady) if she’s at your house. I will make it known and fire her. I’ll report her to the fucking people that take fucking money from the wetbacks, OK?” Gibson says.

   The term “wetback” is a slur referring to immigrants who swim across the Rio Grande river, which forms part of the border between  Mexico and the United States, and enter the United States illegally.

   It was unclear if Gibson was threatening to call immigration authorities to denounce the cleaner, or call people that blackmail illegal immigrants.

   In the rant Gibson also gave indications that he is facing money  problems. “I'm paying my tax money instead of the credit card  (bill). Don't you get it?!” he screams.

   On Monday’s edition of the TV show “The View,” African-American comedian Whoopi Goldberg defended Gibson.

   “I don’t like what he did here but I know Mel, and I know that he’s not a racist,” she said. “You can say he's being a bone head, but I can't sit and say that he's a racist having  spent time with him in my house with my kids.” 

  According to the celebrity website TMZ.com, Grigorieva made the recordings after the January fight.

   A Los Angeles County sheriff’s spokesman said  that police  would also be investigating the tapes of Gibson’s alleged tirades, once they are voluntarily turned over.

   Police in Malibu said they were investigating a domestic violence case at the couple’s home, but gave few details.

   Gibson’s lawyers claim that Grigorieva, a singer who has a child  from a prior relationship, is trying to extort more money in their separation settlement. Grigorieva denies the charges.

   Unmarried, the couple announced their friendly separation in April, but according to local media Grigorieva decided to take Lucia’s custody battle to court in light of Gibson’s abusive behaviour.

   One consequence of the rants was that Gibson’s agency, William Morris Endeavor, dumped the actor on Friday.

   Gibson, who was born in New York and raised as a child in Australia, returned to acting after an eight-year absence, starring  in January’s action thriller “Edge of Darkness”.