If you’re not all that familiar with Mel Gibson’s father, “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver would definitely recommend checking out the man’s Wikipedia page. The HBO host was simply stunned by it on Sunday night.
His recommendation came at the start of the latest episode of the show, in which Oliver highlighted the story of former Department of Justice official Liz Oyer. Last week, Oyer was terminated from her job and told media that it was because she recommended a day earlier that Gibson’s gun ownership rights not be restored.
“Wow, that is, frankly, incredible,” Oliver said. “She got fired because she didn’t think Mel Gibson, best known for his work in screaming, should have guns.”
The actor originally lost his gun rights in 2011 when he was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence after he pled no contest to the charges as part of a settlement to avoid jail time. But, Oliver also encouraged viewers to go check out Gibson’s Wikipedia page to refresh themselves on the actor’s other scandals (which include being labeled “a serial bigot”).
At that, the late night host also directed people to the page of Gibson’s father, if only for just the first paragraph.
“‘Hutton Peter Gibson was an American conspiracy theorist, Holocaust denier, writer on sedevacantism,’” Oliver recited, clarifying that sedevacantism is the belief that there hasn’t been a valid pope since 1958. “‘A World War II veteran, the ‘Jeopardy!’ grand champion for 1968, and the father of 11 children, one of whom is the actor and director Mel Gibson.”
“That is a fascinating man,” Oliver marveled. “And imagine having so many terrible views that producing Mel Gibson is not the worst thing about you.”
“Last Week Tonight” is now streaming on Max.
