I keep thinking Mel Gibson is going to make a big comeback. No matter how many DUI fines he might have paid, I don’t think he needs to work for the money. He’s got six kids, probably busy with them, and his wife. Actually, he seems to have a pretty good life, maybe he’ll just go on living it and be happy.

But while he’s cheerfully on holiday, his offices in Sydney are closing. Without having produced a single film.

Six years ago, the Hollywood star and his producing partner, Bruce Davey, announced they were forming a production company with the leading talent agency Shanahan Management, which represents such A-listers as Nicole Kidman, Toni Collette and Geoffrey Rush.

Icon Shanahan Productions was launched at the same time as a new distribution operation, and there were high hopes that it could produce a new generation of Australian films for international audiences.

But the company has now closed its Sydney office – and its creative director, Sally Chesher, has departed – without a single Icon Shanahan film being made.

The closest it came was the part-financing of the drama The Black Balloon, by Icon’s distribution and sales agency arms.

Sydney Morning Herald

And I thought with his recent thumbs up from the Los Angeles judicial system he might be getting ready for big things. Even at 51, he still knows how to play the cool kids games. While on holiday this week, he stopped off and did his bit for rainforests. Petra Group was signing an agreement for sponsorship to conserve rainforests. Environmentalism is in right now.

Gibson, who last directed Apocalypto, which was set in an ancient Mayan jungle settlement, is on a two-week vacation in Malaysia. He was at the ceremony to lend his support to Petra Group’s participation in the research programme on how to conserve the rainforest.

Malaysia Star

This is why I think Mel Gibson’s life must be pretty good. Even when offices that he worked at establishing are closing down, and public attention has again be drawn to that embarrassing incident, he’s still able to go on holiday. I’d be sitting at home in a bathrobe crying, and not washing my hair.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Header image is from Mel Gibson’s freakout in March during a talk at Cal State when a Mayan scholar asked him if he realized how racist and inaccurate Apocalypto was. Thanks to TMZ.

Months after your DUI arrest, can you turn your back on it, and get on with your career? Well, probably, although it’s harder if you make anti-Semitic remarks whilst driving under the influence.

Oscar-winning actor and director Mel Gibson has met the conditions set by a court as punishment for his drink-driving arrest last year, his attorney has told a judge.

Gibson, 51, famously made anti-Semitic slurs when arrested in Malibu, California, in July 2006. He has since apologised publicly.

He pleaded no contest to drink-driving charges, was ordered to serve three years probation, pay $US1,400 ($1,700) in fines and attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Gibson’s attorney Blair Berk appeared at the hearing in Malibu and presented a judge with documents showing the actor paid his fines, attended AA meetings and complied with his probation.

The judge told Mr Berk that Gibson must be present for his next hearing, which is scheduled for February 15, 2008.

abc.net.au

For those of you bored of the DUI scandals around Lindsay, Paris and Nicole, get used to this kind of report. Somehow I can’t see them doing what Mel Gibson did, going home and keeping his mouth shut.

Of course, many are saying Mel’s career is over. Maybe it is, but I’m not sure about the career’s of Paris/Lindsay/Nicole? Is Mel’s career over because of his anti-Semitic comments, or his drunkeness?

The recent run of DUI’s has led to a potential law change in California.

The proposed legislation — which was requested by controversial Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, whose staff dealt with Gibson and Hilton — has outraged the Californian media.

California Newspaper Publishers Association lawyer Tom Newton said the measure would whittle away press freedoms for the convenience of celebrities.

“It’s the Paris Hilton and Mel Gibson Protection Act,” he told The Los Angeles Times.

“Fundamentally, it attempts to regulate news gathering and criminalise it.”

But proponents say outlawing celebrity leaks and punishing public employees who take cash from the media is a necessary move to restore faith in the state’s justice system after allegations of law enforcement officials providing prohibited information for cash.

Californian politician Julia Brownley, who introduced the Bill at Sheriff Baca’s request, said the digital media age and obsession with celebrity news made the law a necessity.

news.com.au

Maybe you could just factor in an ‘embarassment factor’ to their sentence? Or ‘cost of career earnings’ factor? Then again, everyone has these factors in their court appearances. Also, when an exclusive interview is given about the incident, do celebrities get paid for it? I imagine that would take away some of the pain.

Did Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri get married?

The 41-year-old is thought to have wed the music producer in front of friends and family on Saturday afternoon.

A source had earlier told MediaTakeOut.com: “Janet wants very much to keep the event private. So don’t expect anything over the top. It will be small – only have close friends and family – and definitely no one from the media will be invited.”

The couple have been dating since 2001 and Dupri, 34, worked with Jackson on two of her albums.

Digital Spy

Jermaine Dupri is denying he secretly married janet Jackson in a ceremony Saturday – which he would, wouldn’t he? It’s meant to be a secret.

But Dupri says, “When Janet and I get married, everybody will know. It’s not something I want to keep a secret. I’m going to promote it like a party.”

San Francisco Chronicle

Aw, that’s sweet.

Janet Jackson has married twice before in secret, to James DeBarge and Rene Elizondo Jr, so I don’t believe a word of Dupri’s denials. Actually, one of Janet’s previous marriages was annulled, so she got married once and the second time, er, had a faux ceremony? Anyway, two secret wedding things.

Her breast exposure at the Superbowl also topped a list of celebrity scandals compiled by Entertainment Weekly.

JANET JACKSON’s infamous breast-baring wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl has topped a list of celebrity scandals. The singer was performing a duet with Justin Timberlake during half-time at the American football final when she accidentally flashed a breast. Second on the list, compiled by editors at American magazine Entertainment Weekly, is Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic outburst during his July 2006 drink-driving arrest. At three is the 1992 U.S. TV appearance by Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, who infamously tore up a picture of the late Pope John Paul II during a performance on Saturday Night Live. The top five is rounded out by Hugh Grant’s 1995 arrest for engaging in “lewd conduct” with prostitute Divine Brown in Los Angeles, and Michael Jackson dangling his son Prince Michael II over a hotel balcony in Berlin, Germany in 2002.

Contact Music

You know what’s missing from the scandal list? Madonna. Wasn’t she scandal queen? Remember before she had children, and just got in hot water over their controversial fathering/adopting, she released two albums titled Erotica and Bedtime Stories (no sign of the three little pigs here, which is really about getting eaten by a wolf and not children’s fare at all…).

Anyway, she also released the Sex book, made a music video featuring S&M, masturbated on stage with an Puerto Ricon flag (much ruder than a nipple slip, I think) and fellated a vodka bottle on her Truth or Dare film.

Get in line Janet Jackson. Actually, somewhere ahead of you, wouldn’t there be you brother Michael’s child molestation charges? Much more controversial than a bit of nipple.

Britney Spears and Paris Hilton have been voted the Worst Celebrity Role Models of 2006 in a joint poll between Associated Press and AOL.

Brit got a heaping 29% of the vote for the “Worst” role model, while Paris received 18% and the anti-Semitic ranting Mel Gibson got 17%. Way to go Brit! Your commando pics and party hopping have really paid off!

Other names on the “Worst Role Model” list include: Tom Cruise, Michael Richards, K-Fed, Nicole Ritchie, Lindsay Lohan and Angelina Jolie.

I know I’m white trash but I disagree that Angelina should be on this list. The woman gives zillions to the poor and adopts orphans. Sure, she broke up Brad and Jen’s marriage but why lump her with tramps girls like Brit and Paris?

Mel Gibson might have sought treatment in an inpatient facility and checked out, he might be getting some sort of addiction therapy as his publicist claims, or maybe he’s just laying low and hoping this whole mess will blow over. Whatever Mel is doing, he’s not in rehab:

Mel doesn’t care. Maybe he didn’t go to rehab because the philosophy of recovery contradicted his freaky cult religion. It could be possible that he figures his career is over anyway and just doesn’t give a shit.

Have you seen the best Mel Gibson political cartoons we posted? They’re priceless. I hope one of the artists now tackles Mel’s lack of commitment to rehab.

Here are some of the pictures from Mel’s famous night out that you’ve already seen.