Actor Blames Viking Alter-Ego for Controversial Outbursts
Hollywood star claims an inner demon named Bjorn the Viking is responsible for his most shocking public incidents and inflammatory statements over the years.
Critics who've labeled Mel Gibson a problematic figure might want to reconsider their target. The real troublemaker, according to the actor himself, has been hiding in plain sight this whole time. Meet Bjorn the Viking.
Yes, you read that correctly. The two-time Oscar winner apparently battles an internal Norse warrior who's allegedly behind his most notorious moments. This includes his 2006 antisemitic rant during a DUI arrest, disturbing voicemails to an ex-partner, and a battery charge he didn't contest.
The Beast Within
In a 2001 Radio Times interview, back when Gibson still commanded A-list status, he described this supposed "bestial side" in vivid detail. "He's got Viking horns, and I imagine myself trying to bury him, and he's, like, in the grave, and I've packed dirt real tight on him, and I'm shovelling it down, when suddenly this hand starts appearing," Gibson explained.
The actor continued his strange metaphor. "My insanity doesn't come out very often, because to exist in society, you have to work on that and keep it in check."
Deflecting Responsibility
Gibson seemed genuinely puzzled by his public image during that same interview. "Why is it that people define me as a right-wing misogynist?" he wondered aloud. "It's baffling. I'm not like that at all."
The actor offered his own theory for the perception. "I guess it's because I'm Catholic, have ideas on birth control, and used to joke about keeping women barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. So it seems that I'm some sort of brute."
This explanation came from someone who once called feminism "a term invented by some woman who got jilted" and fired a female business partner while using an extremely offensive slur. When confronted about homophobic remarks, he reportedly said he'd "apologise when hell freezes over" and told critics to "fuck off."
According to Gibson's narrative, none of these incidents reflect his true character. Bjorn the Viking was apparently pulling the strings all along.