Mel Gibson Fights Divorce Battle This Time For His Father

Ten years ago, if someone heard the name Mel Gibson, they would think of a heartthrob actor with a heart of gold. But the past several years have revealed some shadier sides of the leading man such as an anti-Semitic side and a potential tendency toward violence.

It would seem, however, that Gibson is now proving himself to at least be a helpful son to his elderly father. At the age of 93, his father wants to divorce his wife of ten years. (He’s no longer married to Gibson’s mother. She is deceased.) His reported reason for the divorce goes beyond the standard “irreconcilable differences.” According to reports, Gibson’s father accuses his estranged wife of committing elder abuse against him.

In his old age, Gibson’s dad is prescribed various medications to get by day to day. He claims that his wife keeps the medicine from him and has, therefore, sought the assistance of the court and his celebrity son to protect him from that abuse. He wants the marriage to be over and for his ex to pay him spousal support and legal fees.

Just like his famous son, the father has a history of stirring up public controversy. He has suggested in the past that the Holocaust didn’t happen. Despite his lack of likeability, if Gibson’s father is the victim of elder abuse, he deserves protection and a fair opportunity at living out the rest of his life in a manner that would make him happy. He might be 93, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t years of health and contentment before him. In his case, divorce might be the first step toward that brighter future.

Source: Daily Mail, “Mel Gibson’s father, 93, files for divorce claiming wife Teddy Joye is ‘abusing’ him,” June 5, 2012