The Faded Love Story of Mel and Robyn Gibson

By PopEater Staff Posted Jul 19th 2010 02:00PM

With rumors that Mel Gibson and his former wife of nearly 30 years, Robyn, may be headed toward reconciliation in the wake of domestic abuse allegations against the 'Braveheart' actor, it's time to examine the relationship between the two.

According to PopEater's Rob Shuter, the pair may be headed back to Australia together to flee the circus that surrounds Gibson. But what happened to them over the course of three decades?

Gibson met Robyn Moore met in the late 1970s in Australia, when Mel was a struggling actor and she was a dental assistant. They both happened to live in the same house in the Australian city of Adelaide.

The pair married in 1980, in a Catholic ceremony in New South Wales. That same year, Robyn gave birth to their oldest child, daughter Hannah.

The Gibsons

Robyn and Mel with their son, Tommy, in 2005

They would have 6 more children over the years -- all boys. Twins Edward and Christian were born in 1982, William in 1985, Louis in 1988, Milo in 1990 and Thomas in 1999.

The Gibson also have two grandchildren by Hannah, who married musician Kenny Wayne Shepherd in 2006.

Mel and Robyn Gibson

Robyn and Mel on the red carpet in 1997

Over the course of nearly 30 years, their marriage did survive Mel's alcoholism, which took him to rehab several times. He often credited his wife with his recovery. "The real medal goes to my wife, who's a wonderful woman," he told Diane Sawyer in 2004.

Although Mel's traditionalist Catholic beliefs put him at odds with his wife's own religious upbringing, he still had the utmost respect for her. "My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am." he said in an interview in 2004.

Even right after his DUI in 2006, a source told PEOPLE that Robyn was still standing by her man. "She's as supportive a wife as you'll see. His marriage is as strong as ever."

But everything wasn't as it seemed. That same year, the pair became estranged and separated. However, the actor's wife didn't file for divorce until 2009. Citing "irreconcilable differences," the documents indicated that they separated on August 26, 2006, just a month after his 2006 arrest.

The couple issued a joint statement concerning their split. "Throughout our marriage and separation we have always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so."

Mel Gibson and Robyn Gibson

Mel and Robyn watch their children's soccer game in 1996.

At stake was Gibson's $900 million, but most believed the divorce would be amicable. "There's a lot of mutual respect and they've worked hard on their marriage and worked hard on their separation," an insider explained to PEOPLE shortly following the breakup.

The "irreconcilable differences" between the two could have had something to do with Gibson's relationship with now ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. In May of 2009, Gibson announced that he and Oksana were expecting their first child together. Their daughter Lucia was born in October of last year.

Meanwhile, in the midst of Grigorieva's allegations against Gibson, Robyn has spoken out.

"Mel never engaged in any physical abuse of any kind toward me before, during or after our marriage. Mel was a wonderful and loving father," she told the court in a statement, in an effort to protect their children together.

"Robyn's tried to stay out of this, but she wanted to make sure there was no speculation of what happened within her family," a source explained.

And since their divorce has yet to be finalized, many speculate that they could be back together in the future.

"Meeting Oksana Grigorieva and leaving his wife was the biggest mistake of Mel's life. Robyn and the seven children they have together are heartbroken to see what has happened to him. Seeing the man they know as a husband and father being portrayed as a monster is very painful and not the man they thought they knew. However, neither is the man who would walk about from them for a younger Russian gold digger," a friend of the actor told Rob Shuter.

Tags: mel gibson, oksana grigorieva, robyn gibson

Comments

(220)

Monday 19 July

By jess

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

All you really need to know is that Robyn NEVER taped their arguments and sold them to the media to be played out one tape at a time for financial gain.Robyn knows Mel better than anyone else .

By Belladonna

AGREED! Who records their personal domestic arguments....unless they are in it for a buck!

By judejaded

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

robyn's not gonna trash the man who still butters her bread. and as for the rest of you mel gibson sicko-fan-tics: oj simpson's in his jail cell right now saying he should've used the 'bi-polar card' instead of that infernal race-card.

By Cynthia

Karma's a b*tch.

By lisa lincoln

I say, Mel Gibson is and always has been a nut! You don't all of
a sudden just start with that level of anger, that much hate to
anyone, especially the woman he left his wife for and was with
her when she gave birth. Mel has NEVER been faithful, he just loved em and left em..but he finally got caught and fell in love and asked his church to annul his first marriage. When he new
woman didnt put up with his vile behavior like Robin did..he
ran back to the enabler who let him act vile, cheat and be
a nut....good luck to Gibson and if his wife wants to live
with a kook good luck to them both...gibson/crazy..robin/enabler
Oksana/the smartest of the all/ run and get out of there...good for you

Tuesday 20 July

By Linda

Two reasons, one fear and the other financial. Abused people rarely if ever speak up.

By Mike Tyson

Another man destroyed by a woman.

By o2c5ft0

Robyn didn't NEED to record anything; she was MARRIED to mel with out a pre-nup!! He is probably MORE afraid of her than anyone! She could REALLY clean him out!
This "younger Russian gold digger" probably recorded him because she was petrified of him and that he would take their child from her!

Wednesday 21 July

By lneslusan

Another woman destroyed by man who can't keep his pants zipped!

By J Isbell

"AGREED! Who records their personal domestic arguments....unless they are in it for a buck!", please, allow me to answer that question..........
the person who records this stuff MIGHT be looking for money, but may also be recording it, so that in court, it can be proved AND maybe because she is afraid of having her head bashed in. This way, the nut may actually think twice before doing it.

By Light

What Mel said and did was stupid. But it Was A Private Conversation taped on purpose and shown to tabloids and public for gain by someone. Most people say many exaggerated things privately when upset or hurt they don't really mean and hope no one hears. What he said was less than said the first 2 lines of many rap or hard rock songs. Mel is angry at feeling he was tricked out of a fairly happy very long relationship and family, for someone he thinks is using and playing him for a fool. Like many do, he is probably most annoyed at himself for letting all that happen. Maybe his marriage should and was ending anyway. But not to a goofy phony fake relationship. Everyone could see what was happening, except Him. To quote a famous song "Everybody Plays The Fool, Sometime, Somehow". He needs to get over it. Get himself together. And go on to a future good life. And make sure the child has 2 sober sane single ethical honorable loving good parents. Or at least one.

By Clara

Yeah, she knew enough to divorce him. You don't have to allege anything when you will get 50%.

By ConJ

Robin allowed Mel to emotionally abuse her, she enabled Mel to be the true jerk that he is. What we know is Robyn was "barefoot and pregnant" fits this type of man. I believe this woman had every right to defend herself, why don't you look around and take note on how many men kill women they can't control. You obviously haven't been put in a position to fear for your life! Mel is a racist as well...pay attention to everything he is saying, he ranted well before he met his girlfriend...Robyn put her head in the sand, I will not say she is a women that I would look up to!

By CJ

If you fear for your life against a very powerful man then you will do what ever you feel is necessary to survive!! Robert Blake killed his wife and blamed her...what about other men who have killed women they couldn't control...Look how he treated Robyn, "barefoot and pregnant", I don't think he was a good husband just because he never hit her...he emotionally abused her! She gave him 7 children 30 years of marriage and he is the one who choose to walk! Can't blame the new women she was married to anyone!

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good god does anyone know this women at the beginning has wanted his money and to insure this she got his baby .then the tapes she is so nice because she was tapeing him and is getting her 15 year old child to say it is true ,what he did.my, my are we as people not seeing the truth.

By rouan77

I agree that Oksana (whatever) is in it for the money. Why would she cry wolf now if things were so bad before and why tape him except to use it for personal gain. She could just as easily have given the tapes to the police and let them handle it without all the other publicity. She had to know long before now what she was getting into. This did not happen over night so why all the stories now.

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hy tape him except to use it for personal gain. She could just as easily have given the tapes to the police and let them handle it without all the other publicity. She had to know long before now what she was getting into. This did not happen over night so why al