Posted by April MacIntyre Jul 15, 2010, 21:25 GMT
After the fifth tape emerged from radaronline.com, poised to beat TMZ at the making hay with Mel Gibson dirt business, there are many new questions and even allegations of tape doctoring, and Mel's alleged physical abuse claims.
What really happened before these calls, what is not being said? American Australian actor Mel Gibson (L) and his then girlfriend, Russian singer and actress Oksana Grigorieva. EPA/BALLESTEROS
Especially in light of Mel's ex, Robyn, coming forward and supporting Mel after the latest tape has been spooled out for the public court to judge the Mad Max star.
One thing is for sure, Oksana, the woman who is at the center of this maelstrom, is a cool cucumber, and she taped herself in this obvious set up of Mel, whose hot temper buttons she certainly knew how to push. She knew she was "on" and played the innocent to the hilt on the tapes. But who out there really knows was preceded these calls, or what their actual history is?
This is not a defense of Mel's actions, but clearly, his personality flaws were teased out and culled by the Russian composer, who knew exactly what and how to stage the damning phone calls that have made Mel public enemy number one, again.
And why would Oksana have these tapes leaked publicly? Why wouldn't they just be turned over to the police and end of story, to be dealt with in a custody battle that involves a baby, and is splayed out in front of her 12 year-old son? Why put them through this?
"Mel never engaged in any physical abuse of any kind toward me before, during or after our marriage," said Robyn Gibson said in a declaration to a Los Angeles judge overseeing the custody battle between Gibson and Grigorieva. "Mel was a wonderful and loving father."
Gibson's divorce proceedings are ongoing and seemingly the source of Mel's money frustrations expressed in the latest "tape five" hosted by radaronline.
"Robyn felt she needed to speak out to protect her children and family," says a source close to her. "Robyn's tried to stay out of this, but she wanted to make sure there was no speculation of what happened within her family."
Now lawyers for both sides (Mel and Oksana) faced off Thursday in an L.A. courtroom.
TMZ reports that at the hearing were three L.A. sheriff's officers: One sergeant and one detective from the Special Victims Unit which "investigates child abuse and sexual assault," they explained to reporters outside the courtroom. They declined to specify why they were there. A detective was present from the Commercial Crimes division. Also present in court was a representative from the L.A. Department of Children and Family Services.
L.A. sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said, "We want to interview him just like everyone else involved in this investigation," Whitmore said, adding that detectives were given copies of the leaked telephone conversations on Thursday. "The tapes will be analyzed by our detectives. But they are not the central focus of the investigation, they're just part and parcel of it." Asked if there's concern the tapes were doctored, Whitmore replied, "Our detectives will find out what's going on."
Attorneys for Grigorieva, 40, claim the actor struck Oksana "more than once" during a fight on Jan. 6 at Gibson's Malibu home, breaking a tooth, knocking out a veneer and causing a concussion.
Yet the dentist who allegedly fixed her tooth never reported the domestic abuse, a crime according to TMZ.
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