John Oliver Takes a Dig At Mel Gibson Amid the Braveheart Actor’s Gun Rights Controversy; Details Inside

John Oliver recently made witty remarks about Mel Gibson following the actor-director's involvement in the gun rights controversy.

Written by Tejas Mundhada , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 17, 2025 | 08:15 AM GMT | 7.7K

John Oliver (Getty)

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of domestic violence.

John Oliver recently took a jab at acclaimed actor and director Mel Gibson following his gun rights controversy. This comes after high-ranking Justice Department attorney Liz Oyer was seemingly dismissed for opposing the restoration of Gibson's gun rights.

For context, Gibson lost his rights after a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction. Oliver seized this moment during his recent Last Week Tonight episode, referring to Gibson as the actor "best known for his work in screaming" and highlighting the numerous controversies listed in his Wikipedia section.

While the host asked viewers to check out Mel Gibson’s Wikipedia page, Oliver stressed that one should also go through the Wikipedia page of the actor’s father.

John Oliver then quipped about Mel Gibson’s father, Hutton Peter Gibson, addressing the points mentioned on the page.

Hutton Peter Gibson was an American conspiracy theorist, Holocaust denier, and also a well-known writer of sedevacantism. For those unversed, sedevacantism is the belief that since 1958, the world has not had a valid pope.

Further details about Mel Gibson's father mention that he was a World War II veteran and the grand champion of Jeopardy! in 1968. Hutton Peter Gibson was the father of 11 children, one of whom is the Lethal Weapon actor.

Joking about it, John Oliver stated, “That is a fascinating man! Imagine having so many terrible views that producing Mel Gibson is not the worst thing about you.”

It was back in 2011 when Mel Gibson’s rights to carry a firearm were revoked, following a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction with his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.

Common Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence, assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.