The Hollywood actor and director Mel Gibson is facing renewed criticism from African American leaders after he is alleged to have launched a racist and misogynist rant against his former partner.
The Los Angeles section of America's largest anti-racist group, the NAACP, denounced Gibson for comments which were reported by the online gossip website Radar Online.
Leon Jinkins, president of the group in LA, told the TMZ website that an apology was not enough. "No amount of words will change his image as an out-of-date and out-of-control racist," he said. And Jesse Jackson, the black political figurehead, also waded into the controversy, saying Gibson "needs help".
Gibson himself has so far given no reaction to the report of his alleged diatribe. Radar Online said it had heard a 30-minute recording left on the voicemail of Oksana Grigorieva, Gibson's former partner, with whom he has an eight-month-old child. During the message, according to the site, the film star makes bizarre threats against her and breaks several verbal taboos.
No other media outlet has yet been able to hear the tape, or confirm its authenticity. It is understood that the recording has been lodged with an LA court as part of a highly acrimonious custody dispute over access to the couple's child.
The most incendiary comment involves a description of Grigorieva given over the phone. "You look like a fucking pig in heat, and if you get raped by a pack of niggers, it will be your fault." Radar alleges that Gibson threatened: "I am going to come and burn the fucking house down."
The damaging report comes less than six months after Gibson made a Hollywood comeback with The Edge of Darkness, his first leading role in eight years. His career has been repeatedly upset by his longstanding battle against alcoholism and uncontrollable anger.
In the most infamous incident, Gibson unleashed an anti-Semitic rant in 2006 against a police officer in Malibu, California, who had pulled him over for drunk driving. He accused Jews of being responsible for "all the wars in the world".
On that occasion, he made a succession of rapid and profuse apologies, calling his behaviour "the stupid ramblings of a drunkard".
Asked by ABC TV whether he feared his career would be damaged by the scandal, Gibson replied: "Hey, I'm not under the illusion that everything's just going to be hunky-dory workwise for ever. I've never been under that illusion."
The outburst prompted speculation about whether Gibson's Hollywood days were numbered. But in fact the impact appeared to be limited.
A few weeks after the Malibu episode he released his film Apocalypto which proved to be even more popular than his previous directorial work, Braveheart, in 1995.
The acrimonious custody dispute between Gibson and Grigorieva saw lawyers for both parties in court in LA this week attempting to impose restraining orders on each other. Grigorieva's team managed to prevent Gibson coming near her and their daughter Lucia. She said that he punched her in the face twice and knocked out two of her teeth.
Gibson's lawyers countered by persuading the court to award him renewed access to the child. He also pressed to stop Grigorieva from disclosing certain information to the media, that is believed to include the voicemail tape. Grigorieva is trying to prove that Gibson is dangerous and should be kept away from the girl. The judge has warned both parties to keep all details of the proceedings private.
At the time of the release of The Edge of Darkness in January, the film was heralded as Gibson's chance to revive his flagging career. It was his first lead role as an actor since Signs in 2002.
His performance as a Boston detective investigating the death of his daughter was widely acclaimed. Empire magazine called it an "excellent comeback. The lethal weapon hasn't lost it".
The Daily Mail said that "Mad Mel can do vicious vengefulness like few others".