Mel Gibson Apologizes for 'Thoughtless Idiocy'

Mel Gibson's walk onto a FanExpo Canada stage is drawing far more attention than his Q&A. Video from Saturday's event in Toronto shows the actor-director mimicking the movements of an American Sign Language interpreter as he comes out for a retrospective session, prompting swift criticism online, per Variety. Social media users said his behavior was "casually cruel" and that he'd made fun of ASL "for no reason at all," per Page Six. Some contrasted his conduct with Reacher star Alan Ritchson, who was praised for respectfully acknowledging an interpreter at the same event.

"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 in a statement. "There was no intended maliciousness attached, and I certainly apologize to anyone who was upset by it." The clip fueled backlash against both Gibson and the convention for hosting him. FanExpo Canada, billed as one of North America's biggest pop-culture gatherings, has not publicly commented. The controversial star has been on the expo circuit after completing production on his two-part Passion of the Christ sequel The Resurrection of the Christ, due out next year.