NEW ORLEANS — The president of the Krewe of Endymion is promising to “do better in the future” after an initial plan to include Actor Mel Gibson as a co-grand marshal of the parade was quickly rescinded following public backlash.
The report appears in NOLA.com in a story by Doug MacCash.
The announcement of Gibson, who has definitely taken a step back from being a Hollywood A-lister after reports of antisemitic statements and racial slurs, was met with a swift social media backlash and vilification by the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.
Only hours after the decision to have Gibson as co-Grand Marshal, another decision was made to remove him from the parade lineup.
A statement from Dan Kelly, the president of Endymion, talked about unspecified threats and the safety of the krewe.
On Monday, Kelly responded to NOLA.com’s inquiries about the decision and the process of selecting Gibson.
“Our inclusion of Mr. Gibson was meant to be in recognition of his acting career and was in no way meant to give credence to his statements otherwise. We regret this incident and will do better in the future.”
Kelly also said that the decision-making process was internal, but will be reviewed going forward.
When pressed about specific threats made to the organization, which were unspecified in Sunday’s statement, Kelly again cited the safety of parade-goers and the krewe members.
He also told NOLA.com that the krewe is “proud of our extraordinary and diverse membership.”
Endymion is one of the largest Carnival krewes in the city of New Orleans and annually throws one of the most elaborate spectacles to an audience of hundreds of thousands in the streets.