Mel Gibson's Stepmother Cites 'Acts Of Domestic Violence' In Request For Restraining Order

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Mel Gibson's stepmother has asked for a restraining order against the 56-year-old actor, alleging several acts of domestic violence against her.

Teddy Joye Hicks Gibson, who was married to the actor's father, John Hutton Gibson, in 2001, filed her petition for a restraining order against the "Braveheart" star in Los Angeles Superior Court.

"Mel's bullying of this soon-to-be octogenarian is deeply disturbing given that she has been a loving and loyal spouse to Mel's father…for over a decade," the petition states.

Gibson screamed at his stepmother after she spoke up against his preference for ozone treatments for his 93-year-old father's various maladies, according to the petition.

"Now Mel has sunken to new lows over the last year by committing several acts of domestic violence against his 78-year-old stepmother," the petition says.

The court document says she and Gibson were sitting in a hospital room visiting her husband when the actor stood up and began yelling her.

"I was frozen in terror based on the way Mel suddenly snapped at me and was flailing his arms around," she said, according to the document.

Gibson's father filed for divorce on June 1 and Teddy Gibson puts part of the blame on her stepson.

"For reasons that Joye does not comprehend and cannot get to the bottom of until this court issues restraining orders against Mel, Hutton Gibson filed a petition for marital dissolution (and) Joye believes Mel and/or his sister, Maura Dunne, manipulated (her husband) into filing the divorce action," Teddy Gibson's court papers state. "The filing for divorce has left Joye completely baffled."

The woman says in a sworn statement that she has "a lot of questions about Hutton's filing of divorce against me and need to speak directly to my husband without Mel's interference so that I can make sure both that he is OK and not being manipulated by Mel or into a course of action he does not wish to take."

A hearing on the woman's petition is scheduled for July 25.

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