Career Jeopardy for Mel Gibson?

July 31, 2006 — -- He is a Hollywood megaplayer with power, connections and hundreds of millions of dollars, but Mel Gibson's arrest for drunken driving, and his alleged anti-Semitic remarks have raised questions about the director's future star power.

"It's a big story you know? It doesn't come out of the blue," said Gregg Kilday of the Hollywood Reporter. "Mel Gibson had to deal with charges of anti-Semitisim when 'The Passion of the Christ' was released in 2004."

Gibson has apologized profusely after he was arrested on Friday with a 0.12 blood alcohol level, which is above California's legal limit of .08 percent. He said he "said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable," after allegations surfaced that he told one of the arresting officers that "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

The Web site TMZ posted four pages of what it is calling the original and unofficial arrest report in which the arresting deputy wrote "Gibson blurted out a barrage of anti-Semitic remarks about f -- ing Jews."

Despite Denial, Some Won't Work With Gibson

Gibson has previously denied accusations that he is anti-Semitic, including a response to the question during a 2004 interview with Diane Sawyer.

"For me, it goes against the tenants of my faith to be racist in any form. To be anti-Semitic is a sin," he said.

Ari Emmanuel, one of Hollywood's most powerful talent agents, isn't buying it.

In a rare public statement, Emmanuel urged those in Hollywood to stop working with Gibson, "even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line." But the Walt Disney Co. is going ahead with distribution of Gibson's next film, "Apocalypto," which is due in theaters in December. (The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.)

Former Hollywood executive Garth Ancier believes that in the future the studios will think twice about dealing with Mel Gibson.

"Hollywood can be a mercenary town at times, but this may have crossed a threshold he can't retreat from," he said.

But Gibson's star power has overcome his indiscretions in the past, and some Hollywood insiders believe even now he is still too valuable to the all-mighty bottom line to be shunned by the industry.