Hollywood What If Chapter 587
After shopping for baby products, Kazir and Scarlett went to the parking lot. There were four bodyguards following behind them, but the couple had already forgotten their presence.
This time, Kazir took the driver's seat while Scarlett sat in the front passenger seat. In the back seats were the baby products that couldn't fit in the trunk. The couple had bought a lot. In fact, the bodyguards' car that followed them a few meters away also had its trunk full to the brim with baby products.
In this case, before the twins could even be born, the couple had probably already filled two rooms in their house with baby products. Some were toys, some were gear, and some were essentials.
While Kazir was driving and having conversations with Scarlett, they passed by a filming location.
Hollywood, being the city where showbiz was prominent, had a lot of locations that could be used for filming. Some landlords and hotels even let studios rent their properties to film shows or movies.
While passing by, Kazir caught a glimpse of Mel Gibson lighting up a cigarette. The actor's appearance didn't look good, and it was understandable why.
Mel Gibson had been blacklisted in Hollywood. The major factor behind that was the things he said when he was arrested for DUI. He made some anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments. That happened in 2002.
Despite being a talented and famous actor, Mel Gibson disappeared from Hollywood just like that. If you looked at it carefully, it was scary. It was actually possible to destroy a person's career because they offended a group of people.
Of course, no one could defend what Mel Gibson said as right. Did he deserve to lose his job, though? At the end of the day, it depends on how people look at him. Some people said Mel Gibson deserved it, while others said he deserved a second chance.
Kazir returned his focus to driving. Mel Gibson's appearance showed that the actor was stressed and haggard.
'If I remember it right, Mel Gibson's wife of 28 years will file for divorce this month. Perhaps it already happened, which explains Mel's haggard face,' Kazir recalled.
The divorce cost around $400 million, probably paid by Mel Gibson. The further details were not disclosed, but $400 million was surely a huge amount of money.
Mel Gibson had a hard time these past few years. A successful and famous actor was now a nobody. Truly terrifying, Hollywood ran deep.
Suddenly, Kazir realized that what happened to Mel Gibson could also happen to him.
In fact, Kazir had also suffered from scandals just like Mel Gibson. His scandal was even downright malicious, aimed to destroy his career and image.
But unlike Mel Gibson, Kazir bounced back quickly. After so many scandals were thrown at him, Kazir remained innocent. Perhaps that was also the reason why he didn't disappear from the limelight.
Even when Kazir was in the hospital after the assassination attempt, some studios still blamed him for things he didn't do.
If his enemies had won, he might have been gone by now. He might be just like Mel Gibson, trying his best to live despite the cruel setbacks.
'Mel helped me and reminded me to stay away from disgusting people here in Hollywood, and I followed his opinion. I owe him that.'
Kazir could also relate to Mel Gibson because he had experienced what it meant to live at the lowest point of his life. It wasn't easy at all. Some people did hurtful things to him, and even now, Kazir was still fighting it in his mind.
So, was Mel Gibson a good or bad person? Only people who knew him could decide. But that didn't stop strangers from forming opinions about him. After all, Mel Gibson was an actor, basically a public figure. People were allowed to say the shittiest or kindest opinions about him, simple as that.
Scarlett noticed Kazir's distant look and gently placed her hand on his.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
Kazir glanced at her, then gave a faint smile.
"Yeah, just thinking. I saw Mel Gibson earlier, and it reminded me how fast things can change. One wrong move… and everything you've built can vanish."
Scarlett nodded. She had also seen Mel Gibson, but she didn't think much of it. However, after hearing Kazir, she understood what he was talking about.
"But you're not alone, Kazir. You have me, the kids, and people who believe in you."
He tightened his grip on the wheel and smiled.
"I know. And that's what keeps me going."
They drove past the filming location, leaving Mel Gibson behind in the rearview mirror. But the image lingered in Kazir's mind. This was a reminder of both the darkness of Hollywood and the strength it took to survive it.
'...Should I help Mel or not?' he thought to himself.
Kazir knew that Mel Gibson would make a comeback, but that would be around 2016. Mel Gibson would direct Hacksaw Ridge, and the movie would be successful. It would take years, but Mel would return.
As for the current movie that Mel Gibson starred in, it would be a failure. Mel Gibson thought Edge of Darkness would help him return to Hollywood, but he was wrong. When the movie was released next year (2010), scandals about him resurfaced again. At that time, his conversation with his girlfriend was recorded, where Mel Gibson said some derogatory stuff.
So yeah, Mel Gibson might not be a good person, as some people believed.
So Kazir asked himself again:
'Should I help him?'
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[Yeah, I might make a poll tomorrow.]
[Note: The poll ended. Patrons made a decision not to help Mel Gibson.]