Mel Gibson Looking to Sue Joe Eszterhas for Audio Recording

By Edward Tan, JD on April 20, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The Mel Gibson recordings just keep on coming. The newest debacle has the "Lethal Weapon" star seriously looking into suing Joe Eszterhas.

Eszterhas recorded Gibson's latest rant while in the star's home in Costa Rica. The actor was angry over Eszterhas' lack of progress with "The Maccabees" script. Among the audio jewels from Gibson this time include him screaming sarcastically at his guests to eat and arbitrarily yelling "hate." And of course, the usual deluge of F-bombs.

Gibson believes he has a "basic human right" not to be recorded, Fox News reports. But is that belief enough for a lawsuit?

Probably not. Like most modern societies, lawsuits have to be based on, you know, actual laws and not semi-delusion ravings. Speaking of which, click here to listen to Gibson in all his angry glory. But remember, it's NSFW.

Back to Gibson's possible legal action, the key to a viable civil lawsuit for the actor lies in Costa Rican law. Though Eszterhas' recording was released to TMZ in America, the actual act itself was done in Gibson's Costa Rica home.

But had Eszterhas captured the potty-mouthed star's rage trip on U.S. soil, the story would've been different. Depending on the state, any number of local laws could have provided Gibson with a legal basis for an invasion of privacy civil lawsuit. In addition, federal law also allows for them.

Typically, plaintiffs who sue for public disclosure of private facts can only recover if the disclosed information doesn't concern the public and would be offensive to a reasonable person.

Since Gibson is a celebrity, the standard is a little different. Some would argue that his stardom makes his comments a public concern. Others would say the exact opposite.

This latest Mel Gibson recording has got the actor's people checking if Joe Eszterhas can be sued under Costa Rican law, TMZ reports. Stay tuned for more wackiness to come.

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