Community Reacts to Endymion Choosing, and Then rescinding Mel Gibson as Grand Marshal Transcript

Well, good evening, and thank you for joining us. I’m Charisse Gibson.

And I’m Devin Bartolotta. It took less than a day for Endymion to change its mind about Mel Gibson’s invitation to be Co-Grand Marshal for its parade. The actor was swiftly removed from the lineup after backlash.

And Miss Eleanor Tabone explains that group claims it received threats.

Is this what Mardi Gras 2023 is going to look like?

The glittering displays of one of New Orleans’s largest super krewes will no longer feature Mel Gibson.

It’s 2023. We’re still talking about Mel Gibson. We’re still uplifting Mel Gibson. That just seemed really surprising to me. I think I believed that there was a larger community awareness of who he is.

I don’t walk around in tight clothes. I stay at home for most of the time.

Go out public and it’s a (beep) embarrassment to me. You look like a (beep)(beep) in heat. And if you get raped by a pack of (beep), it’s your fault.

Gibson has a long history of anti-sematic racist and sexist rants and comments. Almost immediately after announcing he’d be Co-Grand Marshal, Endymion faced a tsunami of negative feedback. Shortly after, they rescinded their offer. Lindsay Baach Friedmann with ADL believes Endymion made the right choice.

If you say something hurtful to and about a community and you apologize for it, but you go back and you double down on it, you do it again, have you really apologized?

The Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Clergy Council, and the Jewish Community Relations Council released a joint statement, saying, in part, “Although it has been announced that Mel Gibson will no longer ride due to reported threats, ADL are appalled that Endymion chose Mel Gibson as the parade’s 2023 Grand Marshal to begin with.” In a statement, Endymion said, in part, “they receive significant feedback about our Grand Marshal announcement. Some of this commentary included threats that cause us great concern. In the best interest of our safety of our riders, special guests, and everyone that welcomes us on the streets, Mel Gibson will not ride as a Co-Grand Marshal for our 2023 parade.”

It hurts. It’s so unnecessary. He’s a known misogynist. He’s a racist. He’s an anti-Semite.

[inaudible 00:02:23] Endymion member and member of the Jewish community, Austin Marx says there should be more input in the selection process.

I would like Endymion to do a little bit more though. I think it makes sense for them to probably have some sort of committee or a group of folks to oversee who they choose to select as their Grand Marshals.

Still, Gibson’s involvement is unclear.

Is he completely removed from the experience or is he just removed from the parade itself? Is his name going to still stand as Co-Grand Marshal? Is that being taken away? I think there’s still information that would be really helpful for them to release to the public.

Eleanor Tabone, Eyewitness News.

We reach out to Endymion for an interview. And so far, we have not heard back.