'West Wing' Star Joshua Malina Slams Hollywood For Still Hiring 'Raging Anti-Semite' Mel Gibson

Actor Joshua Malina is calling on Hollywood to end its problematic relationship with Mel Gibson once and for all. In a heated op-ed for The Atlantic, published in response to the controversial veteran actor being tapped to direct "Lethal Weapon 5," the "West Wing" star urged the industry to "cancel Mel Gibson," whom he described as a "well-known Jew-hater." Throughout the essay, Malina pointed out how Gibson has faced a number of troubling allegations in the past for making racist, anti-semitic, and homophobic comments. "Gibson is a well-known Jew-hater (anti-Semite is too mild). His prejudices are well documented. So my question is, what does a guy have to do these days to get put on Hollywood's no-fly list?" the 55-year-old asks in the opinion piece.

"Now, I love the 'Lethal Weapon' movies (at least the first few). And Danny Glover's a gem. But Gibson? Yes, he's a talented man. Many horrible people produce wonderful art... If Gibson is welcomed back to direct the latest installment of this beloved franchise, it may be time to stop publishing think pieces about the power of 'cancel culture.' Because if he can continue to find big bucks and approbation in Hollywood, cancel culture simply does not exist," Malina argues. "Gibson's political beliefs are—as my father would say—somewhere to the right of Ramses. He has said sexist things and yelled racist slurs, and that should have been enough for liberal Hollywood to cut him off. But his reported anti-Semitism has been more consistent, more open, and more egregious."

Malina went on to question why Studios like Warner Bros. continue to hire the actor. "How can Warner Bros. (a company founded by Jews) possibly consider hiring this man again? On its parent company's website, I found a very laudable 'inclusion' policy. It reads, in part, 'WarnerMedia is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as moral and business imperatives. It is essential that our workforce, content, and creative partners reflect the diversity of our society and the world around us.' May I humbly suggest that in addition to a robust inclusion policy, Warner Bros. needs an equally robust exclusion policy?" he writes.

In his essay, Malina calls attention to a few of the many scandals attached to Gibson's name, including how actress Winona Ryder told The Times of London last year about a disturbing run-in with the "Braveheart" actor. "We were at a crowded party with one of my good friends," she said. "And Mel Gibson was smoking a cigar, and we're all talking, and he said to my friend, who's gay, 'Oh wait, am I gonna get AIDS?' And then something came up about Jews, and he said, 'You're not an oven dodger, are you?'"

Malina also brought up the infamous 2010 voicemails in which Gibson could be heard using racist and misogynistic language towards then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva and the leaked recording of the actor saying anti-Semitic remarks during a 2006 DUI arrest. He concludes the essay by acknowledging that his op-ed could harm his own career in the entertainment industry. "I write this knowing that it's more likely to lead to a boycott by Warner Bros. of Joshua Malina than of Mel Gibson," he admits. "But if that's the result, so be it. I've had a nice career, baruch Hashem. It would be great if higher-profile executives, producers, and actors would also take a stand. Then I could believe in this cancel culture I keep reading so much about. And I could also believe that Jews do, in fact, count."