Robyn Gibson Files for Divorce: Mel Gibson Dumped After 28 Years

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Robyn Gibson has filed for divorce from husband of 28 years Mel Gibson citing "irreconcilable differences."  In papers signed Thursday, April 9, 2009, Robyn Gibson (nee Moore) is asking for spousal support, attorney's fees, and joint custody of the couples only minor child Tom Gibson, age 9.

Thomas Rufus Gerard Gibson will turn 10 on April 14, mere days after his mother, Robyn Gibson petitioned for divorce from father, Mel. Mel Gibson and Robyn Gibson have a total of seven children and one grandchild together. 

Mel and Robyn Gibson's eldest child and only daughter, born in 1980, Hannah Gibson, had been rumored to be studying to become a nun, something representatives for the Gibson family repeatedly denied. On September 16, 2006, Hannah Gibson married musician Kenny Wayne Shepherd forever laying these rumors to rest.

The other Gibson children include; twins Edward and Christian (born 1982), William (born 1985), Louis (born 1988), Milo (born 1990).

Mel Gibson met his wife to be, Robyn Moore shortly after filming his break out role in the Australian cult classic Mad Max (called Road Warrior in North America). The couple married on June 7, 1980 in a Catholic ceremony in a church in New South Wales.

Mel Gibson has long promoted himself as a strict Catholic and strong believer in church doctrine.  Despite struggles with alcoholism and repeated accusations of infidelity, Gibson has often used grand words of praise to describe his wife Robyn. 

Gibson has often referred to Robyn as both a "saint" and "my rock," which has been taken as a comparative reference to St. Peter's importance to Christ and the Christian Church.  High words of praise for a woman who stayed away from the spotlight and now wants a divorce.

One can't help but wonder how Mel Gibson will reconcile the divorce.  The Catholic Church still strictly forbids divorce and does not recognize civilian courts as having jurisdiction to end a holy union.  Only the church can dissolve a marriage through annulment and with 7 children it is unlikely that this will happen for the Gibsons. 

What this will mean is that in the eyes of the Church, and by extension God, Mel Gibson will still be married to Robyn Gibson and should he or she choose to wed again in the future they will not be able to have a ceremony in a Catholic Church.

The division of property is yet to be determined but Mel Gibson has a fortune estimated to be in excess of $900 million.  Under California law Robyn Gibson should be entitled to half of that wealth.

Regarding the parts of the Gibson estate in question, in the court documents filed on April 10, 2009, and accepted by the courts on April 13, 2009, it states "There are community and quasi-community assets and obligations of the parties, the exact nature and extent of which are unknown to the Petitioner at this time."