Patrick Swayze and Jodie Foster Come To Defense of Mel Gibson - Says Mel is Not Anti-Semitic

August 7th 2006

Patrick Swayze

Both Patrick Swayze and Jodie Foster have come to the defense of Mel Gibson after his drunken driving arrest and derogatory statements against Jews. Swayze, who started in various films including “Dirty Dancing” said “I feel really bad for Mel.”

The 50 year old Swayze told GMTV “People say stupid things when they happen to have a few." Swayze is currently performing in “Guys and Dolls” in London's West End, according to the BBC. "I feel really bad for Mel." Swayze added Mel is "not anti-Semitic".

"Hands deserved to be slapped if you do something stupid, but don't take it too far." He told Kate Garraway of GMTV on Monday “"a man [as] talented" as Gibson would bounce back from his current ignominy. You don't put somebody down like that," Swayze said. "When you are a pit-bull and you love what you do, that talent will find its way out."

Swayze said Gibson is "a wonderful human being" who should be "allowed to have a stupid moment". Swayze is not the only one to step up to the plate for Mel. Jodie Foster when asked if Gibson was anti-Semitic by the LA Times said “Absolutely not. Mel is honest, loyal, kind, but alcoholism has been a lifelong struggle for him and his family."

Foster mentioned others including Christian Slater and Robert Downey Jr. as examples of nice guys who have found trouble when addiction enters the picture. Foster added, “I do not have personal experience with addiction, but I have seen it take many paths in people I know."

More on Foster and the controversial video tape.