Actor Mel Gibson has apologised after video circulated online showing him mocking an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter during a panel appearance at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto. The 70-year-old waved to the crowd before appearing to jeer behind the interpreter on stage, prompting swift criticism on social media, with some users calling the gesture cruel and disrespectful towards the deaf community, while others dismissed it as harmless comedic behaviour.

Gibson addressed the backlash on Monday, telling Fox News Digital that "sometimes spontaneous thoughtless idiocy is displayed" when performers are put in the spotlight, insisting there was no intended malice and apologising to anyone upset by it. The incident occurred during his "From Braveheart to Mad Max" Q&A session, and organisers of the expo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Gibson also confirmed he is currently in post-production on "The Resurrection of the Christ" in Toronto, and the article notes he was named a Special Ambassador to Hollywood by President Trump in 2025, alongside Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone.