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Maccabees screenwriter Joe Eszterhas defended his claims against Mel Gibson on TODAY Friday after the actor denied them.
On Wednesday, The Wrap leaked a nine-page scathing letter Eszterhas wrote to Gibson, 56, that accused the star, in great detail, of being anti-Semitic and making a lewd rant in front of his 15-year-old son.
The alleged incidents occurred while Eszterhas and Gibson were working in the fall on a movie about the ancient Jewish revolt of the Maccabees. The screenwriter, however, claims Gibson never intended to make the film because he “hates Jews.”
“I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason you won’t make The Maccabees is the ugliest possible one,” he wrote. “You hate Jews.”
Gibson released a statement denying Eszterhas’ claims calling them “utter fabrications.”
But Eszterhas appeared on TODAY Friday and said his son has the rant of Gibson’s lewd comments about his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva on tape.
“He’s 15 years old and to put this kind of imagery into a 15-year-old’s head, I think it’s heinous,” the screenwriter said. “I think it’s vile and I think it’s unforgivable.”
In the letter, Eszterhas, also claims Mel threatened to kill Grigorieva.
“You were raving at Oksana even after you’d reached a custody agreement over Luci,” their daughter, he wrote. “And then you were even more explicit about your threat: “I’m going to kill her! I’m going to have her killed!” You said you’d become friends with two FBI agents (or former FBI agents) and they were going to help you to kill her.”
Eszterhas said he was speaking out on TODAY because “I’m not going to stand for people calling me a liar.”
Watch a clip of Eszterhas’ interview and tell Us: Do you think Eszterhas should release the tape?