Mel Gibson may have made headlines for the wrong reasons in the past, but fellow actor Robert Downey Junior has asked Hollywood to forgive him.
The Iron Man star was being honoured for his life's work at the American Cinematheque Awards when he made the heartfelt appeal.
First explaining how Gibson helped him after he suffered a very public downfall with drugs.
SOUNDBITE: Robert Downey Jr. saying:
"He said, that if I accepted responsibility for my wrong doings, and if I embraced that part of my soul that was ugly, hugging the cactus he calls it, he said that if I hugged the cactus long enough I would become a man of some humility and that my life would take on a new meaning, and I did and it worked."
Gibson's world came crashing down in 2006 when he came under fire for anti-Semitic statements following an arrest for drunk driving - he also pled no contest for one misdemeanor count of spousal battery.
But speaking to a host of A listers, Downey Junior said it is time to move on.
SOUNDBITE: Robert Downey Jr. saying:
"I humbly ask that you join me, unless you are completely without sin and in which case you picked the wrong fucking (this word is dipped) industry, in forgiving my friend of his trespasses and offering him the same clean slate that you have me and allowing him to continue his great and on-going contribution to our collective art without shame. He's hugged the cactus long enough."
There's no doubt he has Gibson's back, will his words have effect? Time will tell.
Sarah Mills, Reuters
