Mel Gibson has spoken out about the impact of the ongoing Harvey Weinstein scandal – arguing that he thinks it will lead to “change”.
The entertainment world has been rocked by the scandal of the Harvey Weinstein rape and sexual harassment allegations. Now Gibson, who has previously faced allegations of misogyny in his career, has said that sexual harassment coming to light and perpetrators being made accountable will see a cultural shift for the better within Hollywood.
“Things got shaken up a little bit and there is a lot of light being thrown into places where there were shadows and that is kind of healthy,” Gibson told The Guardian. “It’s painful, but I think pain is a precursor to change.”
Meanwhile, Gibson also told RTE that his “heart goes out to the victims, of course”.
“And I’m glad that they spoke up. And I think it’s unfortunate that they have to relive the whole thing to heal themselves. And the rest of us are subjected to the problem. And I think we really need to look at it.
“But it’s not just Hollywood. You don’t have to be in Hollywood to experience that kind of harassment.”
Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour battery charge against his former girlfriend and mother of his child Oksana Grigorieva in 2011.
Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.