14 DAY TRIAL // The days when Britney Spears would drive aimlessly in her car with tens of paparazzi in tow, or when she would use her umbrella as anything other than a device meant to protect one from the rain, or when she would shave her head just because she could are long gone. Mel Gibson, though, would like to tell the world that he did all he could to save Britney from herself.
A guest on Jimmy Kimmel’s special post-Oscars show, the controversial actor and director, not a stranger to scandal either, opens up about what has only been speculated so far: yes, he did reach out to Britney Spears and offered her his help. Yes, that did help, Mel says, and he’s only sorry he did not do that for late actor Heath Ledger too.
“She’s a nice kid, ya know. She was just going through a rough patch. You see kids that you know in the industry... I just felt like this poor kid she’s lining up to be stoned. I just thought, ‘I wonder if anyone is reaching out to her,’ so I just called her and she’s doing great now.” Gibson reveals about the pop star. Nevertheless, the credit is not entirely his, as it was Britney’s father who came and saved the day by assuming conservatorship over everything Britney. “He’s the real hero,” the actor adds.
As for Heath Ledger, who reportedly also had some issues with drugs, Mel admits to Kimmel that he only wishes he’d have done something about it. “I shoulda called him years before. I didn’t really know the ins and outs of what was up with him, but I don’t believe it was just an accident. Maybe I coulda called him... When you see sort of an impending tragedy or something that might go wrong, it just felt like I should do something about it.” Gibson points out.
In July 2006, Mel Gibson too got his share of highly-mediated controversy, as he was arrested for DUI and insulted police officers by spitting anti-Semite comments and making threats. Following a period of intense media scrutiny and the compulsory television tour, Gibson’s image was rehabilitated.