American Actor Mel Gibson has been involved in many controversies over the years, but his divorce from wife Robyn Denise Moore, which cost him half of his fortune in the settlement, might top the lot.
Mel Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, in New York and was the sixth of 11 children. His father relocated the family to Australia during the Vietnam war to avoid having his sons drafted into the military.
After high school at Asquith Boys High School in New South Wales, Australia, Gibson was accepted at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.
He made his stage debut in the school’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” before making his screen debut in the film “Summer City” in 1977.
In 1979 the actor rose to fame after starring as a futuristic warrior in “Mad Max” and a disabled man in the movie “Tim.” Gibson earned his first Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor for his performance in “Tim.”
He has since appeared in a lot of commercially successful movies, including World War I drama “Gallipoli,” “The River,” “Lethal Weapon,” “Braveheart,” which earned him five Oscar awards and a host of other movies.
MARRIAGE AND CONTROVERSIES
Gibson married former dental nurse Robin Denise Moore in 1991, and the couple together became parents to seven children.
During their marriage, the actor’s movie career made him a fortune, and he also dabbled in real estate, purchasing an island in Fiji for $15 million in 2005.
His wife, however, was his rock and support. She stayed home and devoted all her time to raising the couple’s children.
Their marriage was not all smooth sailing, though, and they separated in 2006 after the Actor was arrested for drunk driving to which he pleaded a no-contest. He was also accused of using anti-Semitic and racist words during his arrest.
Gibson was subsequently sentenced to three years of probation, including mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
DIVORCE AND EXPENSIVE SETTLEMENT
In 2009 three years after the drunk driving incident, Gibson’s wife, Moore, filed for divorce after learning that her estranged husband’s new girlfriend, Russian pianist Oksana Grigorieva, was pregnant.
The couple had not signed a prenuptial agreement, and according to the law, Moore was entitled to half of everything Gibson made during their 30 years of marriage which was determined to be close to $1 billion.
Their divorce was eventually finalized in 2011 at a courtroom in Los Angeles, and Moore was awarded the sum of $425 million as her divorce settlement.
Even though most details about the settlement were kept secret, the actor was estimated to be worth $850 million. She was also entitled to half of any film residuals Gibson receives for the rest of his life.
The divorce was tagged as the costliest celebrity divorce payout beating a record set by Steven Spielberg, who paid $100 million to Amy Irving in their 1989 divorce.
FURTHER CONTROVERSIES
After his divorce from Moore, the actor was involved in a custody dispute with ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva that unearthed leaked recordings of Gibson using racist and sexist language.
Grigorieva also accused Gibson of domestic violence, and the actor pleaded a no contest to misdemeanor battery following a dispute with Grigorieva.
He also had to pay her $750 000 and share custody of their daughter.
WHERE IS MOORE NOW?
Robin Denise Moore has been living a low-key life since her divorce from Gibson. She also recently bought her third home in Malibu. The former dentist bought a clifftop compound in one of the best streets in Malibu’s Point Dome Peninsula.
