Mel Gibson faces divorce after nearly 30 years of marriage

LOS ANGELES — Mel Gibson’s wife of nearly 30 years filed for divorce yesterday from the Oscar-winning actor and director, according to court records.

Robyn Gibson cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split from her 53-year-old husband (picture), the Academy Award-winning maker of Braveheart and star of the Lethal Weapon films.

“Throughout our marriage and separation we have always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so,” People magazine quoted the couple as saying in a statement yesterday.

The couple have had seven children together since their marriage in 1980. The two met in Australia when Gibson was an unknown actor and his future wife was working as a dental assistant. Gibson’s marriage has reportedly been under strain from the time he was arrested for drunken driving in 2006. He was also reported to have made anti-Semitic remarks to police officers during his arrest.

Gibson has kept a low profile since then, appearing in a handful of cameo roles in television and films. His last film as a director was the 2006 Mayan period epic Apocalypto.

His last major role as an actor was in 2002 film Signs but he is due to return later this year in Edge of Darkness, a political thriller based on the British 1980s television series of the same name.
AFP

From TODAY, World - Tuesday, 14-April-2009