Justice Department restored Mel Gibson's gun rights? Here's what we know

In early April 2025, a claim spread online that actor Mel Gibson, who was recently appointed "special ambassador to Hollywood" by U.S. President Donald Trump, had his Second Amendment right to own firearms restored by the Department of Justice. 

Gibson's right to own a firearm was rescinded after he pleaded no contest to a 2011 misdemeanor battery charge. The actor was sentenced to "pay about $600 in fines" along with 36 months of probation, 52 hours of counseling and 16 hours of community service, according to a 2011 article in The New York Times. In 1996, the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 was amended to ban "the possession of firearms by individuals convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence."

The rumor appeared on Instagram (archived), Threads (archived) and Facebook (archived), with some social media users voicing concerns about giving a convicted domestic abuser access to firearms while others claimed it was every American's right to own a gun. 

The claim stemmed from a report by The New York Times, published on April 3, 2025, which cited its sources as "people familiar with the decision." 

The article stated: "The decision, which also applies to nine others, was approved by Attorney General Pam Bondi, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The specifics are expected to be published in The Federal Register, they added."

Specifics have not yet been released on the Federal Register, the daily journal of the U.S. government. Snopes reached out to Gibson's representatives as well as the DOJ for confirmation and will update this piece if we receive a response. However, without confirmation from Gibson, the Justice Department or official documentation on the Federal Register, we are unable to give this claim a rating. 

The rumor circulated following media coverage of the firing of former Justice Department pardon attorney Elizabeth G. Oyer, who went public with the circumstances surrounding her termination in March 2025. 

In a March 10 interview with The New York Times, Oyer said the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche repeatedly asked her to submit a draft memo recommending a list of nine citizens she deemed suitable for regaining their gun rights. However, the memo was allegedly returned to her with a new request to add Gibson to the list. According to Oyer, she was fired one day after her refusal to add Gibson.

Oyer continued: "Giving guns back to domestic abusers is a serious matter that, in my view, is not something that I could recommend lightly, because there are real consequences that flow from people who have a history of domestic violence being in possession of firearms." 

She also said a Justice Department official "essentially explained to me that Mel Gibson has a personal relationship with President Trump and that should be sufficient basis for me to make a recommendation and that I would be wise to make the recommendation."

On April 7, Oyer gave testimony about the situation, which included the Justice Department allegedly sending armed deputies to her home to deliver a letter of warning against testifying. 

According to her statement, Oyer was able to divert the officers before they arrived at her home. In her testimony, Oyer said: "The letter was a warning to me about the risks of testifying here today. But I am here because I will not be bullied into concealing the ongoing corruption and abuse of power at the Department of Justice." A video of Oyer's testimony can be viewed in full on YouTube.

Snopes has investigated numerous rumors pertaining to Gibson's political involvement, including a satirical claim that the actor was starting a "non-woke" movie studio and the true story that he saluted Trump during a UFC event.