The Daily Telegraph’s Sydney Confidential column claims the 59-year-old verbally and physically abused photographer, Kristi Miller, during a screening of the war flick Far From Men during the Australian Israeli Film Festival at the Palace Verona Cinema in Sydney’s Paddington on Sunday.
Kristi claims the Oscar-winning star snapped after she took a photograph of him and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Rosalind Ross.
However, Mel’s rep Alan Nierob vehemently denied the allegations to the Daily Mail Australia on Monday morning, stating Kristi’s recollection of the evening “is a complete lie” and the actor didn’t “shove, or spit anyone.”
Alan added: “The photographer was harassing Mr Gibson and his friend and they asked her to stop. There was no physical altercation whatsoever. She [the photographer] was harassing them and was asked to stop. He did tell her to get a real job though.”
However, Kristi claims otherwise.
“I thought he was going to punch me in the face,” news photographer Kristi told The Telegraph.
“He was spitting in my face as he was yelling at me, calling me a dog, saying I’m not even a human being and I will go to hell. He swore and called me a c***. It was non-stop, he didn’t even breathe,” the mother-of-three revealed of the horrifying ordeal.
Mel, who has a history of making anti-semitic remarks, allegedly continued to attack Kristi with physical force until his girlfriend stepped in to break up the fight.
“I took a photo of Mel and his girlfriend and when I turned around he shoved my back really hard. It shocked me because I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know if it was his hands or elbow.”
What’s even more frightening was how precariously close Kristi was the oncoming traffic from busy Oxford St as Mel’s meltdown raged on.
“He was backing me on to the road,” she claimed.
“It was only when [his girlfriend] grabbed his shoulder and said, ‘that is enough’ that he stopped. She said, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.’ They turned and crossed the road and walked off,” Kristi concluded.
Mel apparently launched into an epic physical and verbal attack towards photographer Kristi Miller who thought the star was going to punch her.
The altercation has since been reported to the police.
The father-of-eight has been quietly working on rebuilding his reputation following a tumultuous few years, which include his 2006 drink driving arrest and rant against the Jewish community for which he later apologised over and labelled as “despicable” behaviour.
Mel, who was born in New York but grew up in Sydney, has returned to home soil to begin directing upcoming World War Two flick Hacksaw Ridge. The troubled star is yet to comment on the latest claims.
The actor has since denied Kristi’s claims (Image/Twitter).
