An hour ago, Malibu – a place that was once peaceful with waves and golden sunshine – suddenly became the center of global grief. Mel Gibson, the legendary star of “Braveheart” and “The Passion of the Christ”, suddenly collapsed in his beach house while staying with his family. The stroke came like a knife cutting through all the peace, leaving his wife and children crying for help.
Immediately, the 911 emergency team arrived. The scene was chaotic: medical staff rushed into the living room, his heart had stopped. The AED electric shock machine turned on, the shocks continuously made his body convulse, but the monitor still showed a hopeless straight line. “Clear! Again!” the doctor shouted, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. But after many tense minutes, Mel Gibson’s heart remained still.
Outside the house, paparazzi had arrived, flashbulbs flashing amid the blaring ambulance sirens. Dozens of fans gathered at the gate, many burst into tears when they saw the stretcher being brought out with the body covered with an oxygen mask. Police immediately blocked off the scene, trying to stop the crowd from screaming “Mel! Mel!”. A few overzealous fans tried to push through the fence, creating a stampede, causing a woman to faint on the spot.
The ambulance siren rushed straight to the UCLA Medical Center. The ICU was lit up white all night, the red monitor continuously alerted, doctors gave the final electric shock, nurses inserted a breathing tube, and heart stimulants were continuously pumped. But the desperate effort was only met with sad eyes and head shakes from the shift leader.
The bad news immediately spread around the world. On social media, the hashtags #PrayForMelGibson and #GoodbyeMel climbed to the top of global trends in just a few minutes. In Hollywood, his colleagues – from director Martin Scorsese, actor Robert Downey Jr. to actress Nicole Kidman – posted tearful messages. “A warrior has fallen, but his spirit will never die,” Russell Crowe wrote on X. The Australian Prime Minister even made a special announcement, praising Gibson as “a one-time pride of Australian and Hollywood cinema.”
In front of the Malibu mansion, an endless sea of candles stretched out. Fans held portraits, raised Australian and American flags, and prayed silently. The sound of violins echoed in the sea breeze, adding to the mournful atmosphere.
And then a double incident occurred: when a crowd of thousands of people crowded in front of the house gate, part of the metal fence suddenly collapsed, injuring many fans. The ambulance siren sounded again, this time not for Gibson, but for his fans. Malibu was filled with the sound of crying, red sirens and trembling candles.
Mel Gibson – the film warrior, who once stood at the pinnacle of glory with the golden Oscar statuette – passed away quietly but left a global shockwave. An unofficial national film funeral has begun, as millions of hearts bow their heads in unison.
“He said: Don’t cry for me, keep telli
ng my story,” a trembling fan repeated. And in the flickering candlelight, that promise rang out in chorus: Mel Gibson will never be forgotten.
