Mel Gibson settles dispute with girlfriend

Mel Gibson will pay his former Russian girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva 750,000 as part of a settlement agreed in a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on Wednesday, ending a bitter dispute over the custody over their 22 month-old daughter and financial matter.
The acrimony between the couple surfaced a year ago following the release of tapes, in which Gibson was heard ranting, cursing and insulting Grigorieva.
Apparently, Grigorieva had deliberately leaked the tapes in order to pressure Gibson to increase his initial settlement offer to 15 million. Grigorieva escaped extortion charges, but the Braveheart director was sentenced to three years probation last year after admitting slapping her.
The widely-heard tapes further tarnished the veteran actor?s reputation, which had been already damaged by his anti-Semitic tirade following a drunk driving arrest. His manager quit, he lost a cameo role in Hangover 2 and his latest film The Beaver flopped in the box office.
In his interview with UK screen last May (http://www.ukscreen.com/article.htm?article_id=40628), the Hollywood star refused to discuss the legal case with Grigorieva in order to protect his loved ones.