‘Thanks, that’s time’: VERY awkward moment Mel Gibson’s handler cuts off interview after being asked about Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock
- Mel Gibson’s handler shut down an interview with Jesse Waters after the Fox News host asked about Will Smith’s slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars
- ‘If you had been the one that jumped up out of his seat and slapped Chris Rock… would you have been treated the same way?’ Watters asked the veteran actor
- A off-screen female voice cut in at that point, telling Watters that Gibson’s time was up as the actor grimaced and awkwardly shook his head
Mel Gibson’s handler abruptly shut down an interview with Jesse Watters on Friday after the Fox News host asked the veteran actor, who is no stranger to onstage conflict, about the confrontation between Will Smith’s and Chris Rock at the Oscars.
‘You understand if probably better than a lot of people, with you career,’ Watters led in, deviating from an on-air conversation about Gibson’s latest film, Father Stu.
‘And I was wondering if, you know, you had been the one that jumped up out of his seat and slapped Chris Rock, if you would have been treated the same way. Mel?’
Gibson points his finger into the camera, grimaces and shakes his head, then waves his other hand.
‘Hello, Jesse? Um, thank you, that’s our time,’ cuts in a female voice from off-camera.
Gibson continues to smile awkwardly, looking sideways off-camera and then into his lap. But Watters pressed further.
On Friday, Jesse Watters tried to get commentary from veteran actor Mel Gibson on Will Smith’s and Chris Rock’s altercation at the Oscars ceremony – but was quickly shut down by the actor’s handler
The interview aired about an hour after Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, saying he will accept any further consequences from the Academy’s board for slapping Rock onstage at the Oscars
Gibson shakes his finger at the camera and smiles awkwardly at the question before his staffer intervenes
Gibson keeps his gaze lowered until Watters thanks him for his time, to which Gibson looks back up and waves
‘Have you ever thought about that?’
‘Um, I’m – thank you, Jesse,’ the female voice responds. ‘Uh, we – that is our time.’
Gibson keeps his gaze lowered until Watters thanks him for his time, to which Gibson looks back up and waves.
‘Well, Mel, thank you very much for joining Jesse Watters Primetime. We really appreciate it,’ Watters said.
The interview aired about an hour after Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, saying he will accept any further consequences from the Academy’s board for slapping Rock onstage at the Oscars ceremony.
After Oscars presenter Rock cracked a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head at Sunday’s ceremony, saying that she could star in ‘GI Jane 2’, Smith stormed the stage and slapped the comedian.
The Academy held an emergency board meeting of its governors on Wednesday to begin a formal review process of Smith’s conduct, where the Smith could have faced expulsion from the Academy, become ineligible for its future awards or even been stripped of his just-won Oscar for Best Actor.
The board is scheduled to meet again on April 15 to determine additional consequences.