Pardoned by Trump
Mel Gibson gets gun license back
05.04.2025 – 5:19 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Mel Gibson receives his gun rights after over a decade. The decision causes a sensation in the top ranks of the US judiciary.
His passionate film roles fascinated millions, but an incident with his ex-girlfriend cost Mel Gibson more than just his good reputation. After over a decade, an important chapter could now close for the Hollywood star. The US judiciary under President Trump has decided to give the actor the right to have firearms. The decision ends a controversial debate that had caused considerable tensions in the top ranks of the Ministry of Justice, as insiders report.
The decision, which also applies to nine other people, was approved by Justice Minister Pam Bondi and will soon be published in the Federal Register. The decision was made, after a violent conflict with the top official Elizabeth G. Oyer, who had now been released.
Oyer had refused to include Gibson in a list of people whose gun rights were to be restored – despite the pressure of their superiors. After her release, she told the New York Times that a ministry officer had tried to change her because Gibson had “a personal relationship with President Trump”.
The background: Gibson, a well-known supporter of the Republican President, had submitted a “No Contest” plea for an indictment for assault in connection with his girlfriend at the time. This conviction resulted in the purchase of a weapon in Nevada. Oyer emphasized that her concerns had nothing to do with politics, but with the security risks that could arise if someone gets access to firearms with a history of domestic violence.
The decision of the Trump administration is in line with a wider conservative agenda for loosening weapon ownership rights for certain criminal persons. The Ministry of Justice recently published new regulations that are intended to restore such rights for some people with criminal records.
However, Mel Gibson does not automatically guarantee the decision, since individual states can have their own restrictions. The law in Nevada prohibits convicted serious criminals, but the film star was convicted of a crime only for an offense.
