Forget cheating scandals. Forget the whole rehab thing. With Mel Gibson joining the ranks of celebrities accused of smacking, punching, and choking their women, the "issue du jour" is domestic violence.
This week, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department started investigating charges by Gibson's former girlfriend, Russian musician Oksana Grigorieva, 40, that on January 6th he hit her twice in the face—hard enough to knock out a tooth, break a veneer, and cause a concussion—all while she was holding their 3-month-old daughter, Lucia (over whom the couple have been bitterly fighting for custody). Now Radar.com reports that it has obtained an audiotape in which he actually admits to hitting her, saying she "deserved" it. And apparently there are more tapes. "Oksana was so concerned for her life after Mel made death threats," a source tells the site, "that she resorted to covertly recording him."
Things are getting spicier by the moment. According to People.com today, our 54-year-old action hero—who has seven other children by his former wife—is lunging back, charging Oksana with trying to extort money from him by selling the tapes, which reportedly contain other choice bits like: "I will bury you in the rose garden," and, "I am going to come burn the f--cking house down...but you will b-- me first," (referring to a sex act). At one point he calls her a "pig in heat," then a "synthetic person" whose every part is "fake," while spewing racial slurs.
No spoiler alerts here, as the plot has yet to unfold. But what do we make of all the recent domestic abuse leaking out from Malibu mansions, Aspen ski chalets, and other playgrounds of the rich and famous? "Before, the media tended to back away from these stories, so it's definitely a good thing that the crimes are being reported," says Gael Strack, CEO of the National Family Justice Center Alliance (see below) and a domestic violence prosecutor in the San Diego City Attorney's Office for 17 years. "The question is, what are the consequences? It would be nice to see the guys learning something from what they did."
I couldn't have said it better. Certainly the women who have pressed charges against their popular leading men deserve a standing ovation—that takes guts. But it's true that, in Hollywood, a domestic violence conviction seems to be more of an inconvenience than anything else. Half the time, the flash from the mug shot has barely faded before it's, next movie, new chick.
Take a look at how domestic violence has affected the lives of these hotshots...
Mel Gibson: Russian spying at its best?
So far, Gibson—who started dating Grigorieva after his wife of 30 years, Robyn, filed for divorce in April of 2009—denies the abuse. But the chorus is getting stronger with Polish porn star Violet Kowal (who claims they had sex during Grigorieva’s pregnancy) calling him threatening and aggressive. As for Oksana’s tapes, they may not be admissible in court because in California both parties must be aware that a recording is underway. But attorney Gael Strack says Oksana may still have the advantage. "The thing is, they’re there. And the minute he goes, 'I never said those things,’ or, ‘I'm not a violent person,' prosecutors and attorneys can basically say: Liar, liar, your pants are on fire." The next time Oksana needs a restraining order, Strack says, she can request permission to tape her abuser, thanks to a new state law. Strack also recommends that victims save threatening phone and text messages as well as Facebook postings, which can be equally damming. "The more documentation the better," she says. "It's usually his word against hers, and judges want evidence."
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