Updated, 11:04 a.m. EST
Mel Gibson continues to threaten the life of his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, according to an explosive letter by his recent film collaborator, Joe Eszterhas.
In a nine-page letter to Gibson obtained by TheWrap, Eszterhas writes on April 9: “You were raving at Oksana even after you’d reached a custody agreement over Luci,” their daughter.
“And then you were even more explicit about your threat: 'I’m going to kill her! I’m going to have her killed!' You said you’d become friends with two FBI agents (or former FBI agents) and they were going to help you to kill her.”
Eszterhas, a legendary Hollywood screenwriter, describes a violently unhinged Gibson ranting about his ex-girlfriend, whom he describes with sexual epithets despite their having reached a custody agreement.
Read also: Joe Eszterhas' Letter to Mel Gibson
A spokesman for Gibson did not respond to emails seeking comment.
In the letter, Eszterhas accuses Gibson of using him to deflect continuing charges of anti-Semitism “which have dogged you, charges which have crippled your career,” as they worked on a movie about Jewish rebels in the 2nd century, “The Maccabees.”
He added: “I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason you won’t make ‘The Maccabees’ is the ugliest possible one. You hate Jews.”
Update: Gibson responded in a letter to Eszterhas that did not address the Grigorieva allegations:
"Both Warner Brothers and I were extraordinarily disappointed with the draft. In 25 years of script development I have never seen a more substandard first draft or a more significant waste of time. The decision not to proceed with you was based on the quality of your script, not on any other factor."
Gibson also apologized for using "colorful" language, but said that much of Eszterhas's observations were "utter fabrications."
Eszterhas's allegations about Grigorieva were even more terrifying, recounting several incidents that took place at Gibson’s Malibu home and later at his vacation villa in Costa Rica in December. He tells of Gibson taking Eszterhas's 15-year-old-son Nick surfing, and then telling the teenager in explicit and crude language of his plans to kill Grigorieva.
Also read: Warner Bros. Shelves Mel Gibson Maccabee Movie (Exclusive)
Writes Eszterhas of himself and his wife: “The rage which Naomi and I saw you exhibit was wild, crazed and explosive.”
(Editor’s note: this story contains highly offensive language below this point.)
The letter included a description to Eszterhas of the scene that started a public relations fiasco when tapes of his yelling at her leaked online.
“You kept raging about your ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, Luci’s mother, whom you always referred to as ‘that cunt’ and ‘that fucking bitch.’ You acted out for me the scene where you hit her. But you said you’d ‘just slapped her a little bit.’ After you slapped her, you said, she grabbed Luci and went running “hysterically” down the hillside behind your house in the pitch dark.
“’I want that cunt gone!’ you screamed. ‘Gone! Gone! Gone! I will not share Luci with her!’ And: ‘I’m going to get rid of her. No one will ever know! I’m not going to live this way the rest of my life! She’s poisoning Luci against me! She is evil! They worship the devil where she came from. She’s going to disappear! Gone!’”
Update: Steve Jaffe, a representative for Grigorieva, told TMZ, "Mr. Eszterhas' charges are extremely serious and should be investigated by the authorities immediately."
The 2010 recording captured an emotional Gibson, frequently out of breath and threatening to put Grigorieva "in a fucking rose garden.”
The pair's drawn out custody battle over their daughter, Lucia, further damaged the actor’s reputation.
Gibson pleaded no contest in March 2011 to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from their dispute. Grigorieva dropped her domestic violence claims against Gibson in May of that year.
He reached a financial and legal settlement in August with Grigorieva, under which the actor agreed to pay $750,000 over five years and split legal custody of Lucia. In addition, Gibson agreed to buy a house for Grigorieva and their daughter.
Though prominent industry figures, such as Jodie Foster and Robert Downey Jr., have remained steadfast in support of Gibson, the string of controversies have hurt his box office appeal.
Also read: Top Mel Gibson Rants From the Joe Eszterhas Letter
After a long absence from screens, Gibson returned in 2010’s “Edge of Darkness.” The moody thriller fizzled at the box office, grossing just $81 million worldwide and costing nearly as much to film. Last year’s “The Beaver” was an even bigger flop, eking out a mere $6.4 million at the global box office.
Gibson’s action film “Get The Gringo” is reportedly bypassing a theatrical release and premiering direct to video-on-demand on May 1.
There have been other embarrassments too. Gibson was originally slated to make a cameo appearance as a Bangkok tattoo artist in “The Hangover Part II,” but was forced to drop out of the project after cast and crew members objected.
After tapes of his rants against Grigorieva surfaced in 2010, Gibson’s agency WME parted ways with the actor.
In 2006, Gibson was detained by police in Malibu for drunken driving and found himself embroiled in a public relations fiasco when reports surfaced that he had launched into expletive-laden anti-Semitic remarks while in custody.