Mel Gibson, 69, and Rosalind Ross, 35, SPLIT after nine years together

Mel Gibson and Rosalind Ross have ended their relationship after nine years together.

The actor-director, 69, and the screenwriter, 35, quietly separated about a year ago but remain focused on co-parenting their 8-year-old son Lars.

'Although it's sad to end this chapter in our lives, we are blessed with a beautiful son and will continue to be the best parents possible,' the former couple said in a joint statement to People on Tuesday.

Representatives for both Gibson and Ross have not yet responded to requests for comment from the Daily Mail. 

The couple first crossed paths in 2014 through mutual friends and quickly hit it off. 

Three years later, they welcomed Lars, just days before Gibson received a Best Director Oscar nomination for Hacksaw Ridge. 

Reflecting on the milestone, Gibson said at the time, ‘What could be more exciting than listening to the nominations being announced while holding my newborn son.’

Ross, who studied literature at Emerson College, went on to become a screenwriter, contributing to the TV drama Matador and writing and directing the 2022 film Father Stu, starring Mark Wahlberg and Gibson. 

She is also involved in projects still in production, including Black Sam and Barbarian, described as a 'female Braveheart.' 

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Off-screen, Ross is a decorated equestrian, winning a gold medal at the World Equestrian Games in 2010.

The couple met when Ross was 23 and recruited by Gibson’s production company as a co-writer for a script. 

Gibson, then 58, reportedly whisked her away on a luxury Costa Rica trip shortly after meeting. 

The Australian actor's romantic history has often been high-profile. 

He was married to Robyn Moore Gibson from 1980 to 2011, with whom he had seven children.

They share Hannah, Christian, Edward, William, Louis, Milo, and Thomas. 

Between his marriages, Gibson was in a relationship with singer Oksana Grigorieva from 2007 to 2010, and the couple share a daughter, Lucia, born in 2009.

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Their breakup was highly publicized and involved a domestic violence investigation, a restraining order, and the release of audio recordings. 

In July 2010, six tapes surfaced in which Gibson can be heard using strong language toward Grigorieva, including racial slurs.

Grigorieva claimed that Gibson had struck her in the head and face on multiple occasions at his Malibu home. 

Gibson, in a sworn declaration at the time, admitted to slapping her once, stating it was an attempt to prevent what he described as her shaking their infant daughter, Lucia.

In 2011, Gibson pleaded no contest to a single misdemeanor count of domestic violence stemming from the 2010 incident. 

He was sentenced to three years of probation, counseling, and community service.

Despite that turbulent chapter, Gibson has sometimes reflected openly on life, relationships and family in interviews over the years, showing a more candid, self‑aware side. 

On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he joked about life's lessons when asked what advice he’d give his younger self, saying he’d tell himself to 'shut the f*** up,' a quip many interpreted as a wry acknowledgment of past mistakes and public missteps.

Gibson has also spoken humorously about aging and self‑reflection, admitting in various interviews that he sees himself as 'a work in progress' and acknowledging his own flaws and missteps in life. 

 In 2006, he was arrested in Malibu on suspicion of drunk driving after being pulled over for speeding with an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. 

During the arrest, Gibson launched into a profanity‑laced tirade and made anti‑Semitic remarks.

The incident sparked international outrage, led to Gibson entering a rehabilitation program for alcoholism and prompted public apologies. 

Though he initially tried to shift blame to his intoxicated state, he later acknowledged the comments as 'despicable' and apologised to members of the Jewish community, saying hatred of any kind 'goes against my faith.'

More recently, controversy continued around Gibson when efforts to restore his gun rights - lost after the 2011 conviction - became a flashpoint within the U.S. Department of Justice, with a federal pardon official alleging she was dismissed for refusing to support the reinstatement.