Mel Gibson accused of hating Jews and Lennon, and of wanting ex-lover dead

Mel Gibson said John Lennon deserved to die, and that he wanted to stab his former girlfriend to death while having intercourse, according to a Hollywood screenwriter.   

The claims — promptly and publicly rejected by Gibson — were made by Joe Eszterhas, screenwriter of failed movie project "The Maccabees," which Gibson was penciled in to direct, according to Agencies France-Pressed.

Eszterhas — who wrote “Basic Instinct” and “Jagged Edge" — said Gibson sabotaged the project — which tells the story of Judah Maccabee, a Jew who led a revolt against the Seleucid Empire — because he is anti-Semitic.

Eszterhas wrote a nine-page letter to the "Braveheart" star, reproduced on The Wrap, a movie and entertainment website, in which he said:

"I’ve come to the conclusion that you never had, or have, any intention of making a film about the Maccabees.

"I believe you announced the project with great fanfare — 'a Jewish Braveheart' — in an attempt to deflect continuing charges of anti-Semitism which have dogged you.

"I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason you won’t make ‘The Maccabees’ is the ugliest possible one. You hate Jews."

Eszterhas also claimed Gibson had said he hated the music of Lennon, especially the iconic song "Imagine."

Gibson allegedly said the former Beatle had a Messiah complex and "deserved to be shot" dead outside his New York apartment in 1980.

And, Eszterhas claims, he said he wanted his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he has a child, killed.

Gibson reportedly told Eszterhas, "I want to f**k her…..and stab her while I'm doing it."

However Gibson has hit back at Eszterhas in his own, shorter letter, also sent to the LA Times, which claims that Eszterhas' script was "substandard" and "a waste of time."

The Times has published that letter, in which Gibson writes "I guess you only had a problem with me after Warner Brothers rejected your script," in full.

Warner Bros. meantime, said Wednesday that it was not proceeding with Eszterhas' script and was "analyzing what to do with the project."