Endymion Says Mel Gibson Will Not Ride As Co-Grand Marshal Citing Safety Concerns
Krewe president Dan Kelley says the krewe received threats after announcing the actor, who has previously made racist, anti-semetic, and anti-lgbtq statements, as co-grand marshall
In what may be one of the fastest turn-arounds ever, the Krewe of Endymion has announced that Mel Gibson will no longer ride as Co-Grand Marshal of this year’s parade, less than 24 hours after announcing his participation.
“The Krewe of Endymion has received significant feedback about our grand marshall announcement yesterday evening. Some of this commentary included threats that cause us great concern.
In the best interest of the safety of our riders, special guests and everyone that welcomes us on the streets, Mel Gibson will not ride as a Co-Grand Marshal for our 2023 parade.
We appreciate the cooperation of the city in addressing the issues that will allow us to present another wonderful parade this year along our entire route. We will move forward with our final preparations in the coming weeks for the largest procession in Carnival.”
As noted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Gibson has previously made racist statements, including using racial slurs to refer to Black and Latino Americans, as well as being accused of making anti-LGBTQ+ statements. He has also publicly made antisemetic comments.