Why Did Actor Mel Gibson Lose His Gun Rights? Inside the Saga with the DOJ
A string of controversies dimmed Mel Gibson’s star power, and now he is at the center of a Department of Justice saga regarding his gun rights.
Published March 11 2025, 2:43 p.m. ET
Actor Mel Gibson was once known for making headlines regarding his Hollywood movie projects, but years after controversy derailed his career, he’s now in a conversation surrounding gun rights.
Throughout the '80s and '90s, Mel was one of the biggest names in Hollywood — courtesy of a string of blockbuster films that dominated the era. However, a string of controversies dimmed his star power, and now he is at the center of a Department of Justice saga regarding his gun rights.
Why did Mel Gibson lose his gun rights?
In 2011, Mel officially lost his gun rights after he was convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, the New York Times reported, after a no-contest plea.
Per The Vancouver Sun, he was initially investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for allegedly abusing then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
Here's how the Department of Justice is involved.
On Friday, March 7, Elizabeth G. Oyer said she was fired from her position as a U.S. pardon attorney after she opposed restoring Mel’s gun rights, according to NBC News. The actor-director is a well-known supporter of Donald Trump.
Elizabeth’s spokesperson told the outlet that although Oyer wasn’t informed why she was fired, due to the sequence of events she believes it’s because she refused a request from the deputy attorney general’s office to include Mel’s name to a list of those whose gun rights should be restored.
“Unfortunately, experienced professionals throughout the Department are afraid to voice their opinions because dissent is being punished,” Elizabeth told NBC News about the culture at the DOJ. “Decisions are being made based on relationships and loyalty, not based on facts or expertise or sound analysis, which is very alarming given that what is at stake is our public safety.”
The DOJ pushed back on Elizabeth Oyer’s claims.
An official with the DOJ told NBC News that Elizabeth’s termination was not related to the actor. “The Mel Gibson decision did not play a role in the termination decision,” the official, who requested to remain anonymous, said. “The paperwork was done before the Mel Gibson email went out.”
However, other insiders also questioned her termination.
A senior DOJ official told the outlet that, while they couldn’t speak to specifics surrounding Elizabeth’s firing, officials who called out current abuses of power were being fired.
“I don’t know how much of what happened to Liz was a failure to toe the line about a specific thing,” the official said. “But, systematically, the political leadership of this administration is doing their best to take away the institutional guardrails.”
As of now, Mel has not publicly commented on the situation regarding the reinstatement of his gun rights or the accusations from Elizabeth about her termination.
Additionally, no one from the Trump administration, including Trump himself, has publicly acknowledged the reports.