I am actually glad I haven’t seen numerous posts popping up here at Idol Chatter speculating about Mel Gibson and his latest scandal surrounding leaked tapes that contain verbal assaults and references to possible physical abuse in relation to his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. I don’t want to speak for my fellow bloggers, but I know I have been reluctant, indeed, cautious, to weigh in on the latest Mel Gibson scandal. The information is spreading across the web at a frantic pace, and separating fact from presumption is difficult. The allegations are also of such a grave nature that any kind of glib rant or witty pontification seem completely inappropriate. In fact, the only response I have heard in the media to all of this drama that I think has a note of calmness and reason is the voice of Whoopi Goldberg and her other “View” co-hosts.

Yesterday on “The View” Whoopi Goldberg declared she does not believe Gibson to be a racist, even though she is not condoning the alleged behavior and comments. Today on the show she again affirmed she has seen goodness in Mel, even though she can’t understand completely reconcile what she knows of Mel with what is on the leaked tapes. (She also pointed out that instead of taking the tapes to the police first, the tapes seemed to have always been released to a tabloid first.)
Whoopi’s co-hosts have also shown some restraint for a change and not piled on Mel. Elizabeth Hasselbeck joined in with her own support by commenting that it is not impossible for Mel to find redemption. Sherri Shepherd admitted she is praying for Mel even as she struggles with her own personal disappointment that someone who created a film like “The Passion of the Christ” could possibly be committing such cruel acts.
None of these ladies are condoning what we are hearing about Mel from these tapes. Neither am I.But they are wisely acknowledging that obviously the problems that are being revealed are complex, unresolved, and probably go back much further than the last few months. Any kind of help that is needed is probably going to be on a level far beyond making a quick stint to a rehab facility. And I found it refreshing that each of these ladies seemed to recognize it takes real courage and faith to not give up on someone in their most heinous moments while at the same time not excusing their actions. That’s something I am not hearing other people who have known Gibson for years doing.