During 'Tonight Show' Appearance, Mel Gibson Unapologetic About Rant - East Idaho News
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During ‘Tonight Show’ Appearance, Mel Gibson Unapologetic About Rant

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Getty E 082911 MelGibson?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1335828428131Mike Marsland/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — Mel Gibson was unapologetic during his appearance on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday about the recording of his tirade against Showgirls screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who had been hired to write Gibson’s now-in-limbo project The Maccabees.

However, Gibson was all smiles as a guest on The Tonight Show.  He joked, “You know, I love coming to The Tonight Show because when I get here and you tape me, you let me know you’re going to do that up front!”

He added, “Maybe you don’t know this about me, but I’ve got a little bit of a temper.” Gibson was referring to the recording of his rant that Eszterhas made unbeknownst to him during a stay in Costa Rica in December.  Eszterhas reportedly failed to produce an acceptable script, and then the gossip site The Wrap published a nine-page letter from the writer in which he accused Gibson of using anti-Semitic remarks throughout his work, among other things. Gibson admitted he lost his temper, but denied the anti-Semitic accusations.

Gibson explained his side of the story to Jay Leno.  He said, “The guy writes a nine-page letter … if he put half as much time and effort and creativity and imagination into a screenplay, which he was supposed to write, as he did into that letter … we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Gibson added, “It’s kind of like you build a house, you hire a guy to put a roof on it. He comes over and talks about the roof and then you get rained on all night.”

Saying he felt justified in his actions, Gibson noted, “A guy tapes you in your own home … when did it come to the place where you can’t blow off steam in your own home?”  It appears this feud isn’t over yet.

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