Mel Gibson drinking a ‘six-pack’ for breakfast forced wife to give an ultimatum
Film star Mel Gibson once admitted to a nightmare breakfast ritual that lead to his wife threatening to leave him – for good. Mel Gibson has spoken about his alcoholism many times before he became sober, and this was one of the big moments that helped him towards recovery. Mel Gibson celebrated being 10 years […]
Film star Mel Gibson once admitted to a nightmare breakfast ritual that lead to his wife threatening to leave him – for good. Mel Gibson has spoken about his alcoholism many times before he became sober, and this was one of the big moments that helped him towards recovery.
Mel Gibson celebrated being 10 years sober after a long history of alcoholism in 2020. He turned his life around following a string of booze-fueled incidents which almost destroyed his career forever. The Hollywood star credited Alcoholics Anonymous for helping him on his journey. The celebrity almost kissed his career goodbye for good when he was arrested for drunk-driving in 2006. But the now 68-year-old has said he won’t have a “pity party” about his colorful past.
Mel Gibson beat alcoholism with AA
The director opened up to Sunday Night Channel 7 when he reached the remarkable milestone.
He credited his success and health to the famous 12-step program: “I am a member of [the] 12-step program, and I achieved sobriety like that.
“I’ve got 10 years of sobriety under my belt.”
However, it wasn’t always plain sailing. The movie star once confessed he used to drink a six-pack of beer for breakfast. He says he only managed to stop drinking when his wife, Robyn, threatened to leave him. The ultimatum helped the film star on his journey.
He previously told German magazine Bella: “I used to drink six bottles of beer for breakfast, but now I only drink water.”
The Mad Max actor’s problems with alcohol began in the early 1980s, at the height of his fame. Mel Gibson said alcoholism slowly formed when he tried to find a vice to relieve the pressure of the sudden notoriety. He felt the pressure of having to succeed become too much.
He then finally brought his drinking under control in 1991.
Hollywood star’s fall from grace was in front of the world
Mel Gibson saw his life start to spiral out of control with a number of scandals and controversies.
Most notably, in 2006, he was pulled over and charged with a DUI, in Malibu, California, which made headlines around the globe. Footage of the arrest showed the celebrity uncooperative and angry, different from what fans had grown to love from flicks such as What Women Want.
His career took a hit, and it would be years before he would talk about it openly.
10 years later, in 2016, he spoke to Variety Awards editor Kristopher Tapley on the Playback podcast about the incident.
“It was an unfortunate incident,” Gibson confessed.
“I was loaded and angry and arrested. I was recorded illegally by an unscrupulous police officer who was never prosecuted for that crime. And then it was made public by him for profit, and by members of – we’ll call it the press. So, not fair. I guess as who I am, I’m not allowed to have a nervous breakdown, ever.”
He then added: “Ten years have gone by. I’m feeling good. I’m sober, all of that kind of stuff, and for me it’s a dim thing in the past. But others bring it up, which kind of I find annoying, because I don’t understand why after 10 years it’s any kind of issue. Surely if I was really what they say I was, some kind of hater, there’d be evidence of actions somewhere. There never has been.”
If you’ve been affected by this story, you can contact American Addiction Centers on (877) 686-7688 or Talk To Frank on 0300 123 6600 in the UK.