Mel Gibson Loses Mardi Gras Grand Marshall In Less Than 24 Hours
Not sure if its the record, but Mel Gibson's tenure as a Mardi Gras parade Grand Marshal lasted less than 24 hours.
New Orleans largest Mardi Gras krewe, Krewe of Endymion, announced on Saturday night that actor and director Mel Gibson would be their co-Grand Marshal for this year's parade. He was set to share the Grand Marshal spot with Tulane Football Head Coach Willie Fritz. Tulane's coach just led them to an incredible win in the Cotton Bowl, an American Athletic Conference championship, and a Top 10 final ranking to end the season.
But less than 24 hours after the krewe announced that Mel Gibson would ride as co-Grand Marshal, they rescinded that decision...
While there are some reports that say the change was made due to "threats", others are reporting that it was outcries from organizations that led to the move. The Times of Israel says that pushback from national organizations may have influenced the move. They reported:
"However, the decision drew strong backlash from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Greater New Orleans Rabbinic Council, which, in a joint statement, cited Gibson’s “long history” of “antisemitic, racist and misogynistic slurs,” and his “half-hearted attempts to apologize.”
Subsequently, the Krewe of Endymion said on Sunday, less than 24 hours after announcing Gibson’s role, that it had “received significant feedback about our grand marshal announcement, [and] some of this commentary included threats that cause us great concern.”
The group did not specify the nature of the threats, nor their source."
The true nature of the decision will likely never become public. But without the specifics of the "threats" being made public, the speculation won't stop anytime soon. At least not until after the Krewe of Endymion rolls this year.