Mel Gibson To Present At The Golden Globes

Mel Gibson is returning to the Golden Globes stage. This time, however, it’s not to receive a coveted golden statue, but rather to present one to a lucky winner. Gibson, who won a Golden Globe for his directorial work in Braveheart, will present an award next to Olivia Wilde when the show airs on January 10th at 8p.m. But the news that Gibson will be presenting at the Golden Globes came as a bit of a shock to fans. After all, it’s been ages since Mel Gibson has made a public appearance, and, when he has, it’s been with a good deal of contention.

After his DUI arrest in 2006, Mel Gibson took a few years off from the Hollywood limelight, staying away from public appearances and premieres after a recording of his arrest went public. What the recording captured was an anti-Semitic tirade directed at the officer trying to arrest him that would follow Gibson and tarnish his reputation in Hollywood.

Gibson made a small reappearance in 2014, when he started alongside Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford in Expendables 3. But, after that premiere, he went back to avoiding public appearances.

Gibson shocked everyone, however, on May 7, 2015 when he made a surprise appearance at the premiere of Mad Max , the reboot of the same film that made him famous in 1979. Even the stars of the Mad Max: Fury Road seemed surprised by his appearance, posing for pictures with the star and seemingly excited to have him there.

But after seven months in between now and his last public appearance, the news that Gibson will be presenting at the Golden Globes comes as a bit of a shock to movie fans everywhere. Reactions on Twitter range from disgust to confusion over the announcement.

It’s a brave choice having Mel Gibson present on such a public platform after all these years out of the limelight, but it will be interesting to see how everything plays out during the actual award show. And by “everything” I mean “all of the painfully honest and awkward jokes Ricky Gervais is undoubtedly going to crack.”

Brace yourselves for some seriously uncomfortable moments, friends. Because with Gervais at the helm and Gibson presenting, I’m totally counting on it.