the1emilio: Danny Glover Defends Mel Gibson: 'That's My Friend'

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Danny Glover Defends Mel Gibson: 'That's My Friend'

'He's had tough times,' actor tells MTV News at Sundance.
By Aly Semigran

Danny Glover
Photo: MTV News

Mel Gibson has alienated much of Hollywood and his fanbase in recent years. First came his infamous DUI arrest in 2006 and then, over the summer, the Oscar winner was accused of abusing ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva and their young daughter Lucia, and the public heard the shocking audiotapes in which he allegedly hurled epithets at Grigorieva. But there's someone who is sticking by his side: his "Lethal Weapon" co-star Danny Glover.

Glover chatted with MTV News on Friday at the Sundance Film Festival about the news of their franchise's remake, saying, "I'd like to think that the four we did were still magical and people will still reference the four 'Lethal Weapon' [films]." The actor also spoke about his on- and offscreen friend, who has since fallen from grace in the public eye.

"I love Mel. That's my friend," Glover said of Gibson, adding, "He's had tough times. We've all had tough times."

In fact, the actor, who was attending Sundance to screen his latest film, "Black Power Mixtape," said he has been in touch with Gibson, who has been keeping a very low profile in the wake of all the controversy. Glover said that they saw one another most recently at a memorial in Los Angeles, where they happily greeted each other. "We ran up and hugged each other, man," he recalled.

When asked whether the revelations about Gibson over the past year resemble the friend he knows, Glover opted to keep mum. "I can't comment on that," he said, adding, "I only know what I know."

The actor went on to say that the Gibson he knows is "a very generous man, a man that ... whatever he goes through ... is always searching for something and searching for meaning in his life.' "

Glover isn't the only friend and former co-star of Gibson's to come to his defense. In the October issue of More, Jodie Foster, who worked with the troubled star on the 1994 comedy Western "Maverick," told the magazine Gibson was the "easiest, nicest person I've ever worked with." She went on to say, "The second I met him, I said, 'I will love this man for the rest of my life."

Like Glover, Foster opted to stay by her friend's side in spite of the abuse accusations and those controversial violent, racial and anti-Semitic slurs. "When you love a friend, you don't abandon them when they are struggling," she said, adding, "but more importantly, he is and has been a true and loyal friend. I hope I can help him get through this dark moment."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

Related Photos