In its second exclusive Mel Gibson story of the day, The Wrap reports that screenwriter Joe Eszterhas once had a simple message for Gibson: "You hate Jews."
In the nine-page letter The Wrap obtained, Eszterhas rails against Gibson for -- among other things -- threatening to have his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Gregorieva, killed, denying the Holocaust and using racial slurs when referring to Jewish associates.
Eszterhas said he came to the conclusion that Gibson never meant to bring a compelling version of the Maccabee story to the screen, but was simply doing the film to make it appear as though he had nothing against Jews in hopes of bettering his flailing career.
When Gibson stopped responding to Ezsterhas, who wrote the script for the film, the "Basic Instinct" screenwriter realized he had had enough. "I've come to the conclusion that the reason you won't make 'The Maccabees' is the ugliest possible one," Eszterhas writes. "You hate Jews."
Eszterhas quotes Gibson as often referring to Jews as "oven-dodgers," among other slurs.
Gibson responded to Ezsterhas and denied all of his accusations. The letter, which Deadline published shortly after The Wrap's report went up, begins as such:
I have your letter. I am not going to respond to it line by line, but I will say that the great majority of the facts as well as the statements and actions attributed to me in your letter are utter fabrications. I would have thought that a man of principle, as you purport to be, would have withdrawn from the project regardless of the money if you truly believed me to be the person you describe in your letter. I guess you only had a problem with me after Warner Brothers rejected your script.
The Wrap reported earlier today that Warner Bros. had paused any work on the film because they found the script to be unimpressive and lacking "a sense of triumph."
"You were raving at Oksana even after you'd reached a custody agreement over Luci. And then you were even more explicit about your threat," Ezsterhas writes. "'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 kill her."
It's clearly a shocking report and won't be of any help in Gibson's reported attempt to rehabilitate his image. Gibson's career went up in flames after he unleashed a torrent of anti-Semitic slurs during a DUI stop in Malibu.
It thus came as a surprise -- an unpleasant one for some -- that Gibson was going to make a film about Judah Maccabee, the Jewish military hero whose victory is the inspiration for Hanukkah.
The public was even more horrified when phone calls between Gregorieva and Gibson were released. During the calls, he repeatedly threatened her life and generally came across as unstable. Gibson also suggested that Oksana's manner of dress would result in her being raped by a gang of black men, again using racial slurs to describe them.
Though it's too early to tell, it's hard to see Gibson coming back from this round.
For more on Eszterhas' letter, head over to The Wrap. For Gibson's full response, head over to Deadline.
Loading Slideshow
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Inside
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14: Actors Mel Gibson (L) and Julia Roberts attend the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in Los Angeles held at Montage Hotel on January 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For J/P Haitian Relief Organization and Cinema For Peace)
25th American Cinematheque Award Honoring Robert Downey, Jr. - Show
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 14: Actor Mel Gibson speaks onstage during The 25th American Cinematheque Award Honoring Robert Downey Jr. held at The Beverly Hilton hotel on October 14, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Inside
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14: (L-R) Actors Mel Gibson, Sean Penn and Julia Roberts attend the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in Los Angeles held at Montage Hotel on January 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images For J/P Haitian Relief Organization and Cinema For Peace)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Inside
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14: Actor Mel Gibson (L) and Warner Bros. President of Worldwide Marketing Sue Kroll attend the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in Los Angeles held at Montage Hotel on January 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For J/P Haitian Relief Organization and Cinema For Peace)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Arrivals
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 14: Actor Mel Gibson arrives at the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization held at Montage Hotel at Montage Beverly Hills on January 14, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Red Carpet
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14: Actor Mel Gibson arrives at the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in Los Angeles held at Montage Hotel on January 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For J/P Haitian Relief Organization and Cinema For Peace)
25th American Cinematheque Award Honoring Robert Downey, Jr. - Show
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 14: Actor Mel Gibson and honoree Robert Downey Jr. speak onstage during The 25th American Cinematheque Award Honoring Robert Downey Jr. held at The Beverly Hilton hotel on October 14, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Red Carpet
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14: Actor Mel Gibson arrives at the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in Los Angeles held at Montage Hotel on January 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For J/P Haitian Relief Organization and Cinema For Peace)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Red Carpet
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14: Actor Mel Gibson arrives at the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in Los Angeles held at Montage Hotel on January 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For J/P Haitian Relief Organization and Cinema For Peace)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Arrivals
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 14: Actor Mel Gibson arrives at the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization held at Montage Hotel at Montage Beverly Hills on January 14, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
Cinema For Peace Event Benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization In Los Angeles - Inside
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14: Actors Mel Gibson (L) and Sean Penn attend the Cinema For Peace event benefitting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in Los Angeles held at Montage Hotel on January 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images For J/P Haitian Relief Organization and Cinema For Peace)
25th American Cinematheque Award Honoring Robert Downey, Jr. - Show
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 14: Actor Mel Gibson speaks onstage during The 25th American Cinematheque Award Honoring Robert Downey Jr. held at The Beverly Hilton hotel on October 14, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Earlier on HuffPost:
The Huffington Post | By Kia Makarechi Posted: 04/11/2012 9:33 pm Updated: 04/12/2012 9:19 am