Honestly, nobody saw it coming. For almost a decade, the conversation around Mel Gibson shifted from his explosive tabloid past to a surprisingly stable, low-key life in Malibu. The reason? A champion equestrian turned screenwriter named Rosalind Ross. She was the one who seemed to anchor him. But as of late December 2025, that chapter has officially closed.
The news hit the wires like a cold shock: Mel Gibson and girlfriend Rosalind Ross have split. After nine years, the "Lethal Weapon" star and the woman often credited with saving his reputation are no longer a couple. They actually kept the breakup a secret for about a year before going public with a joint statement to People.
It’s a weirdly civil ending for a man whose previous breakups were defined by leaked tapes and multimillion-dollar settlements.
The Quiet End of a Decade-Long Run
Life changes fast. In early 2025, the couple was dealing with the literal ashes of their life when their Malibu home was destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires. Mel was out of town filming, but Rosalind was the one on the ground, getting their family and animals to safety. You'd think a tragedy like that would bond people forever.
Apparently, the cracks were already there.
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The couple confirmed they actually separated roughly a year before the announcement. They released a statement that sounded remarkably... normal. They called the split "sad" but insisted they are "blessed with a beautiful son" and will keep co-parenting. No drama. No screaming headlines.
Who Is Rosalind Ross, Exactly?
If you only know her as "Mel Gibson's girlfriend," you're missing the most interesting parts of her resume. Rosalind—or "Rosey" to her friends—didn't come from the Hollywood party scene. She was a world-class athlete. We're talking gold-medal-winning equestrian vaulter. If you haven't seen vaulting, it’s basically gymnastics on the back of a moving horse. It requires a level of discipline and nerves of steel that probably came in handy while dating one of the most volatile personalities in cinema history.
She met Mel back in 2014. She was 23; he was 58. She had applied for a job at his production company, Icon. They didn't just work together; they fell fast. Within weeks, they were vacationing in Costa Rica.
But Ross wasn't just a "plus one." She carved out a real career:
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- Screenwriting: She wrote the script for Father Stu (2022), starring Mark Wahlberg and, interestingly, Mel himself.
- Directing: She didn't just write Father Stu; she directed it, earning respect for handling a gritty, faith-based biopic.
- The "Female Braveheart": Her script Barbarian (not to be confused with the horror flick) landed on the Black List, which is basically the "cool kids" list of the best unproduced scripts in town.
The Age Gap That Everyone Obsessed Over
You can't talk about Mel Gibson and girlfriend Rosalind Ross without mentioning the 34-year age difference. People were obsessed. When they first stepped out, she was younger than several of his children.
Mel famously brushed it off. He told The Mirror back in 2016 that "age is just a number" and that they just "dig each other." And for a long time, it seemed like he was right. While his previous relationship with Oksana Grigorieva ended in a legal and PR nightmare, his time with Ross was marked by red carpets where he looked, well, happy.
Friends of the actor frequently told outlets like People that these were the "happiest years" of Mel's life. She was the "breath of fresh air" he needed after Hollywood essentially blacklisted him following his 2006 DUI and subsequent antisemitic tirade.
Raising Lars and Navigating a Massive Family
In January 2017, the couple welcomed their son, Lars Gerard Gibson. He was Mel's ninth child. Ninth. To put that in perspective, Mel’s oldest daughter, Hannah, was born in 1980—ten years before Rosalind Ross was even born.
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Despite the sprawling family tree, Lars seemed to be the center of their world. In September 2024, just before things officially fell apart, Mel brought both Lars and his daughter Lucia (from his relationship with Oksana) to the premiere of Monster Summer. It was a rare glimpse into his life as a "young" dad at 68.
What Happens Now?
Mel is 69 now. He’s still working—The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection is a massive looming project—but his personal life is back in the spotlight. Rosalind, at 35, is firmly established as a filmmaker in her own right.
The split seems final, but the "co-parenting" talk actually sounds sincere this time. They survived a wildfire and a decade of intense public scrutiny together. If they can manage the fallout of a breakup with the same level of privacy they maintained during the relationship, they might just set a new standard for Hollywood exes.
Staying Updated on the Aftermath
If you're following the fallout of the Mel Gibson and girlfriend split, here’s what to keep an eye on:
- The Malibu Rebuild: Watch for permits or property sales. Losing a home often precedes a clean break in assets.
- Collaborative Projects: They still have professional ties. It will be interesting to see if they continue to develop scripts together under the Icon banner.
- The Next Chapter: Mel has a history of moving into new relationships quickly. Whether he'll stay single or find a tenth "first date" is the question everyone in the industry is whispering about.
The reality is that Rosalind Ross was more than just a partner; she was a stabilizer during Mel Gibson's long road to redemption. Now that the anchor is gone, fans are left wondering if the "new and improved" Mel is here to stay, or if the drama is just getting started.