Mel Gibson has claimed his on-air insult of a TV entertainment reporter was actually directed at his own publicist.
Gibson appeared to lash out at a reporter from Chicago's WGN-TV, Dean Richards, calling him an "asshole", after an interview about his new movie turned to the subject of his infamous drink-driving arrest in 2006.
But in an SMS to KTLA News presenter Sam Rubin, Gibson claimed the remark was directed at his publicist, Alan Nierob, who he says was making faces at him off-camera.
"Neirob was pulling faces at me during the interview," Gibson texted.
"I was calling him an asshole after the interview was over, or so I thought."
The "asshole" remark came after some persistent questioning from Richards during a live interview by video link for Gibson's upcoming movie Edge of Darkness.
"Do you think that the public will perceive you any differently after all that's been in the news about you?" Richards asked Gibson.
"Referring to the drinking problems, referring to what's been called the anti-Semitic rant."
Gibson became visibly agitated during the interview, telling the reporter: "I've moved on, I guess you haven't".
"I've done all the necessary mea culpas, let's move on, dude."
At the end of the interview, Gibson signed off with "bye-bye" — then, apparently thinking he was no longer live on television, added: " …asshole".
Gibson pleaded no contest to the July 2006 drink-driving charge and was given three years' probation.
But his damaging rant against Jewish people forced him to make several public apologies for his comments, as well as a public admission that he was an alcoholic.
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