Mel Gibson Denies Calling Winona Ryder an ‘Oven Dodger’

Mel Gibson denies allegations against him that he called actress Winona Ryder an “oven dodger.” The Stranger Things actress claimed that Gibson called her the derogatory term when he learned about her Jewish heritage. She claims the anti-Semitic slur was said to her at a Hollywood party in the ’90s.

The offensive term is a reference to the Jewish prisoners who avoided being incinerated at Nazi death camps. Allegedly, that wasn’t the only insult he threw out that same night. She also accused Gibson of asking her friend, who is gay, “Oh, wait, am I gonna get AIDS?” However, Gibson’s reps said, “This is 100 percent untrue,” according to the New York Post. “She lied about it over a decade ago, when she talked to the press, and she’s lying about it now,” the statement continued referencing a 2010 GQ article when Ryder first mentioned it.

“Also, she lied about him trying to apologize to her back then,” his reps added. “He did reach out to her, many years ago, to confront her about her lies, and she refused to address it with him.” However, she responded by telling the publication that she has a different side to the story. “I believe in redemption and forgiveness and hope that Mr. Gibson has found a healthy way to deal with his demons, but I am not one of them. Around 1996, my friend Kevyn Aucoin and I were on the receiving end of his hateful words. It is a painful and vivid memory for me. Only by accepting responsibility for our behavior in this life, can we make amends and truly respect each other, and I wish him well on this lifelong journey.”

While Gibson was accused of such remarks, he’s also taking heat for his new film. The actor, who’s seemingly been flying under the radar recently, has back in action for a new movie titled Force of Nature. He plays a retired police officer refusing to leave his home in Puerto Rico during a Category 5 hurricane. However, fans already have complaints about it after seeing the trailer. In the clip, it shows three main characters, Ray (Gibson), his daughter Troy (Kate Bosworth) and the police officer trying to evacuate them (Emile Hirsch). Viewers couldn’t help but notice that all of the main characters are white, though the villains attacking them are not. Not only that, but the timing to film a movie in Puerto Rico about a disaster while the communities in real life are still recovering from natural disasters.