CALGARY — Mel Gibson has apologized after getting into hot water when a video of the famous actor seemingly mocking a deaf American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter went viral online.In the video from Fan Expo Canada in Toronto on Saturday, Gibson is introduced by panel moderator Liam Crowley and then walks onstage behind an interpreter using sign language for deaf attendees in the audience..As he walks out, Gibson is seen mimicking the interpreter’s sign language before shaking hands with Crowley and sitting down for the panel.On Monday, the star of Braveheart and the Lethal Weapon series told TMZ it was a spur of the moment decision and he meant no harm."Sometimes when you get pushed out on a stage in a spotlight your mind is all over the place, and sometimes spontaneous thoughtless idiocy is displayed," Gibson said."There was no intended maliciousness attached, and I certainly apologize to anyone who was upset by it."The clip quickly spread across social media, sparking widespread debate.“Always disappointing to see my language mocked. We work hard to get our language recognized and be taken seriously,” one commentator said, while others called Gibson’s gestures “insensitive.”.However, the famous actor’s supporters have pushed back against the criticism online, with political commentator Mario Nawfal calling Gibson “one of the greatest actors of all time [who] also happens to be one of the greatest trolls of all time.”Another defender suggested the actor had been signing a joke that critics simply missed, accusing detractors of being “blinded by hatred.”Some dismissed the outrage as virtue signalling, noting that only a small fraction of people are truly fluent in sign language..“The number of people who are actually fluent in sign language is less than 2%; the number of those who actually use it is one-third of that number,” the commentator said.Gibson was at Fan Expo for a panel discussing his career as well as his new film, The Resurrection of the Christ, a sequel to 2004's The Passion of the Christ, which is the highest grossing independent film of all time, having earned $612 million worldwide.
