"I thought he would kill me": Oksana Grigorieva Lost $500,000 Settlement Money From Mel Gibson Because of Howard Stern and His Show (2024)

Mel Gibson went through a highly publicized and dramatized divorce with ex-wife Oksana Grigorieva, which added on to his controversial image.

Among the many controversies that Mel Gibson has had to endure over the years, his divorce from Oksana Grigorieva is probably the most taxing. The actor and singer were reportedly together for only a year before Gibson was accused of domestic violence and the couple separated.

The divorce was highly publicized, especially after audio tapes that allegedly had Gibson shouting profanities at Grigorieva were released. Both Gibson and Grigorieva reportedly obtained restraining orders and the latter received a settlement of $750,000. However, she reportedly lost $500,000 of that money when she appeared on The Howard Stern Show.

How Did Oksana Grigorieva Lose $500,000 During Her Divorce From Mel Gibson?

Divorces can be messy but Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva’s separation after allegedly only being together for a year ended up being a terrible ordeal. The couple reportedly shared a daughter named Lucia and Gibson was said to have written heart-warming poetry for his lady love at the time while he was wooing her (via Hello! Magazine).

However, the pair filed for divorce after accusations of domestic violence against Gibson and both of them filed restraining orders against each other (via MTV News). Gibson reportedly admitted to slapping Grigorieva once but denied other claims (via People). Grigorvieva reportedly said to People magazine, “I thought he would kill me”.

While Gibson reportedly agreed to settle with Grigorieva for $750,000, she only received $250,000 before losing her claim to the rest of the payout due to a legal clause. According to their agreement, Grigorieva would have to forfeit the rest of the settlement money if she were to talk about the domestic violence accusations in public (via People).

When Grigorieva appeared on The Howard Stern Show, she was reportedly asked vaguely about her ordeal with Mel Gibson when she said (via THR),

You know what? You have to embrace your experience and even — it doesn’t matter how painful it might be at the time, and that darker experience, learn from it.

According to THR, the court reportedly found her statement and Howard Stern’s question to both be in violation of the definition of the clause and she hence, lost the remaining settlement money, of which she was only paid $250,000 at the time. Oksana Grigorieva reportedly sued her lawyers for getting her to sign a bad deal (via TMZ).

Mel Gibson Apologized For His Viral Audio Tapes

Mel Gibson is a controversial actor and personality, who has somehow managed to have a career despite all the controversies and his murky image. The actor and filmmaker received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival in 2016 for Hacksaw Ridge but has also been constantly accused of racism and antisemitism on multiple occasions.

One of the biggest controversies that he had been a part of was the audio tape that was leaked which reportedly saw him speak profanities against many races and his ex-wife Oksana Grigorieva (via People). Gibson received intense backlash for the tapes and he was also reportedly dropped by his talent agency (via LA Times).

However, Gibson denied accusations of racism, and though he allegedly agreed to pay $15 million to keep the tapes under wraps (via LA Times), he apologized for his statements on the tape and denied accusations of racism. He said to Deadline,

I’ve never treated anyone badly or in a discriminatory way based on their gender, race, religion or sexuality — period. I don’t blame some people for thinking that though, from the garbage they heard on those leaked tapes, which have been edited. You have to put it all in the proper context of being in an irrationally, heated discussion at the height of a breakdown, trying to get out of a really unhealthy relationship.

He also reportedly mentioned at the time that he did not care if he never acted again and even addressed his canceled cameo in The Hangover II.