Tape is trouble for actor Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson was heard allegedly acknowledging he hit the mother of his 8-month-old daughter in a recording released Monday by a celebrity news website.
The eight-minute recording posted by RadarOnline.com was purportedly a phone argument between Gibson and then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
A voice sounding distinctively like the Academy Award-winner was heard telling Grigorieva that she "deserved" to be hit after she chastised him for allegedly punching her in the face and breaking two of her teeth.
"What kind of a man is that?" she was heard saying. "Hitting a woman when she's holding a child in her hands? Breaking her teeth twice in the face! What kind of man is that?"
"Oh, you're all angry now!" Gibson allegedly responds. "You know what, you ... (expletive) deserved it!"
Alan Nierob, a spokesman for Gibson, declined comment on the tape.
The former couple have been locked in a bitter custody dispute in Los Angeles. The 40-year-old singer has accused Gibson of domestic violence, prompting sheriff's officials to launch an investigation.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said investigators will evaluate the recordings.
"There apparently are audio recordings that we will also review," Whitmore said Monday. He declined to say where detectives would obtain the recordings, or if Gibson had been interviewed by authorities.
"Everything is part of the investigation," he said. "Anything that is connected to the case we will investigate."
He said there was no timeframe for the inquiry to be concluded.
After detectives conclude their work, the case will be turned over to the district attorney's office, which will decide whether to pursue criminal charges.
Last week, a recording posted by RadarOnline.com included comments it said came from Gibson telling Grigorieva that she was dressing too provocatively and that it would be her fault if she were raped. He used the N-word at one point.
