Mel Gibson devastated as ‘secret love’ dies in shocking swimming pool accident: Insider reveals unbearably tragic details

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Mel Gibson is devastated by the unexpected death of an actress he had a close, private relationship with. She died on April 17th, just days after a tragic accident in a swimming pool.

The 70-year-old Oscar winner, who shares nine children and announced his separation from Rosalind Ross in December 2025, is grieving the loss of his former co-star, Nadia Fares. They appeared together in the 2022 thriller, On The Line, four years ago.

On April 11th, 57-year-old Fares was discovered unconscious in a Paris gym’s pool and immediately taken to the hospital. Doctors put her into a medically induced coma.

Six days later, she suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away at Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital – the same hospital where Princess Diana had died.

A source recently told the Daily Mail that Mel Gibson and Riyad Fares shared a very close connection, suggesting their relationship may have become romantic for Gibson before Fares passed away.

Mel has had many romantic interests throughout his life, and Nadia Fares is definitely someone he deeply cares for. He greatly admires her work and they share a strong, lasting friendship.

Although he likely loved her more deeply than she loved him, they shared a strong connection, making her death especially heartbreaking.

He’s heartbroken that she died so young. He never anticipated this happening, and it’s even more painful than he imagined. He loved her very much.

Gibson starred as a radio personality in On The Line, with Fares playing the supporting role of his producer.

The actors became very close while filming in Paris in 2021, and joyful photos captured their warm connection on set.

Fares recently met with the director while visiting the set of ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ in Rome. This film is a sequel in two parts to the director’s 2004 hit movie, ‘The Passion of the Christ’.

The Daily Mail has contacted Gibson’s representatives for comment and has yet to hear back.

The actor from Braveheart had often spoken highly of Fares, describing her as a remarkably powerful and energetic person.

He described her as a remarkably sensitive and elegant actress who brings light to every moment on screen. He felt fortunate to have worked with her on ‘On the Line,’ praising her professionalism and genuine kindness both during and outside of filming.

On Saturday, April 11th, Fares was at a fancy sports club close to Montmartre when a terrible accident happened in the swimming pool.

According to reports, she was swimming laps when she lost consciousness. Authorities say she was discovered at the bottom of the pool in a yoga pose.

It felt like forever waiting for the paramedics, but someone – another swimmer, thank goodness – immediately jumped in and started trying to revive her with CPR. I was just praying it would work, desperately hoping they could bring her back. Every second felt like an eternity.

Fares had surgery for a brain aneurysm in 2007. She also shared that she’d had three heart surgeries within four years.

She is survived by her daughters, Cylia and Shana Chasman, whom she had with her husband, Steve Chasman, a producer. They announced her passing.

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Nadia Fares’ passing this Friday. The statement released by her family beautifully captures the depth of this loss – France has lost a truly gifted artist, but for those who loved her, it’s the loss of a mother that feels most profound. It’s a reminder to cherish the connections we have and the many roles people play in our lives. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time.

Fares and her ex-husband married in 2002 and lived in Los Angeles together until they separated in 2022. After the split, she returned to France.

She once explained that moving to Los Angeles with her husband meant she was ready to start a family and dedicate herself completely to raising it.

Actor Gibson and his partner, Ross, revealed in December 2025 that they had separated privately a year earlier. They are parents to a nine-year-old son named Lars.

Before his relationship with Ross, he was married to Robyn Moore for 31 years, from 1980 to 2011. They had seven children together.

In 2009, after ending his relationship with Moore, Mel Gibson started dating Russian musician Oksana Grigorieva, and they had a daughter named Lucia that same year.

Gibson and Grigorieva ended their relationship the following year after Gibson admitted to assaulting his former partner.

Lucia’s parents went through a very difficult and contentious custody dispute, and at one point, they even filed restraining orders against each other.

Gibson began dating equestrian and screenwriter Ross in 2014.

Fares first became well-known in the 2000 action thriller The Crimson Rivers, which featured Vincent Cassel and Jean Reno and was directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, the director of the acclaimed film La Haine.

She appeared in several films, including the 2017 comedy Everyone’s Life directed by Claude Lelouch (known for A Man and a Woman) and starring Jean Dujardin, who is famous for The Artist. She also starred in the 2002 thriller The Nest, alongside Benoit Magimel, who appeared in The Piano Teacher.

Viewers might recognize her from the Netflix series Marseille, where she played the strong and calculating Vanessa d’Abrantes, acting alongside Gérard Depardieu and Benoît Magimel.

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2026-04-29 04:38