"All our tax dollars probably went to Gavin's hair gel" — Mel Gibson slams California Governor Gavin Newsom for not containing the wildfires 

In a fiery public statement, renowned actor and director Mel Gibson attacked California Governor Gavin Newsom and criticized the state's handling of ongoing wildfires.

On January 9, 2025, American filmmaker Gibson appeared on the comedy podcast The Joe Rogan Experience and reflected on the recent wildfire that ravaged Los Angeles. During his appearance, he criticized Governor Gavin Newsom, accusing him of not making sufficient efforts to address the disaster.

Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, is often recognized for his impeccably styled, gel-backed hair. Taking a jab at this, Mel Gibson quipped that all the Governor's funds seemed to be spent on hair gel rather than wildfire containment.

"Yeah, that’s right, yeah. It’s all funny. And then I think all our tax dollars probably went for Gavin’s hair gel. I don’t know but it’s like, you know, it’s sad, it’s like — the place is just on fire," Gibson said.

This statement came in the wake of the catastrophic wildfire that broke out in Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. According to BBC reports, the disaster forced the evacuation of nearly 179,000 residents, with an additional 200,000 still under evacuation warnings.

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Mel Gibson rebukes Gavin Newsom over California wildfire disaster

On Thursday, January 9, 2025, Mel Gibson, during a podcast with Joe Rogan, recalled the 2019 announcement by Gavin Newsom of a $1 billion budget for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery from disasters during the fire season.

Mel Gibson suggested that Newsom failed to follow through on his promise to care for California's forests.

"In 2019, I think Newsom said, ‘You know, I’m gonna take care of the forests and maintain the forests and do all that kinda stuff,’ He didn’t do anything," Mel Gibson said.

As Gibson expressed his sadness over the wildfires and mocked Newsom for his gelled hair, Joe Rogan interjected, criticizing Newsom for mismanaging the state. Rogan argued that the issue extended beyond the wildfires to the general governance of California.

"Well, the whole state is just so poorly managed. It’s so frustrating and confusing, and then he gets on TV and pretends like everything’s great. ‘California’s the best, we have the best state, we have the most amazing economy,’ and like, you’re outta your f**king mind dude, you have ruined this state," Rogan said.

Mel Gibson and Joe Rogan are not alone in their criticism. On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Newsom, suggesting that he should redirect water from Northern California to combat the wildfires instead of allowing it to flow into the Pacific Ocean.

"It ought to be done right now, NO MORE EXCUSES FROM THIS INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR. IT'S ALREADY FAR TOO LATE!" Trump wrote.

In response to Trump’s remarks, Gavin Newsom spoke with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

Newsom acknowledged the severity of the wildfire crisis, emphasizing the loss of lives and the destruction of communities. He refrained from directly addressing Trump’s comments but expressed his dismay at the politicization of the tragedy.

"People are literally fleeing. People have lost their lives. Kids lost their schools, families completely torn asunder, churches burned down. This guy wanted to politicize it,” he added, talking about Trump. “I have a lot of thoughts, and I know what I want to say. I won’t," Newsom said.

As of now, Gavin Newsom has not responded to Mel Gibson's remarks.

According to the BBC, the wildfires in California have claimed at least 10 lives, with the identities of the victims still unknown.

The Pacific Palisades fire, the most destructive in Los Angeles history, destroyed approximately 5,300 structures, while the Eaton fire just outside the city razed another 5,000.

Insurance companies estimate that the wildfire outbreak will result in insured losses exceeding $8 billion (£6.5 billion) due to the high value of properties in the affected areas.