Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Donal Gibson
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV
Harley Young
Donal Gibson is Mel Gibson's younger brother. And, though he shares the same piercing blue eyes and rugged looks that turned his brother into a global superstar, their relationship has fallen apart.
The Gibson brothers were so close that Mel Gibson had arranged for Donal to have a part in Braveheart, encouraging him to make it in Hollywood, but today, their friendship is no more.
Donal has recently come forward to share how Hollywood fame and fortune has destroyed their 'unassailable bond', blaming controversial movie, The Passion Of The Christ for driving them apart.
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"Mel and I were once so close that I find it unbelievable that we’re not talking, that we’re not in touch," said Donal, further explaining the decline in their relationship.
"When we were kids we shared a bedroom, we did everything together.
"When he came to LA, I followed. He’s only two years older than me so he was my big brother, my best friend. When he became famous there was no jealousy. I was happy for him, proud that he’d made it.
"Fame changed him. He started believing in his own publicity. The Mel I knew disappeared.
"Hollywood ate him up and spat him out. To me, the fame, the money, it all went to his head and created a monster. I hate what he has become."
Devout Catholic, Mel, is about to start work on a sequel to the movie that tore them apart, called Resurrection.
The original 2004 film covers the last 12 hours of Jesus' life and has been labelled as antisemitic by many for its portrayal of Jews. It's also been heavily criticised for its extreme violence.
The film was shot in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin with subtitles and fans described it as an almost religious experience, turning it into the highest-grossing independent movie of all time when it raked in $612 million at the worldwide box office.
The film was largely financed by Mel himself, but the actor became worth hundreds of millions overnight due to its success.
The multi-millionaire now owns homes in both Malibu and Costa Rica, as well as his own private island in Fiji. But whilst Mel is living it up thanks to the flicks success, Donal dubs the movie a 'disaster'.
Donal says he had begged his brother for financial help multiple times, but was shocked when Mel responded: "Your problems are your own."
Donald continued "I was getting regular work before Passion Of The Christ but I think people thought Mel was an antisemite so they thought I was too.
"I believe I was blacklisted. Mel was OK because he had millions pouring into the bank."