Australian actor Mel Gibson has poured another $15.2 million into his controversial private church in California’s exclusive beachside suburb of Malibu.

Gibson’s secretive sect is not recognised by the Catholic Church because it does not acknowledge the authority of the Pope or the Vatican and rejects the universally accepted teachings of the Second Vatican Council.

Mel Gibson has poured a further $10 million into his controversial sect in the Malibu hills as he oversees the construction of a 400-seat church to expand his flock of followers.

Actor-director Mel Gibson told Diane Sawyer today that he was ashamed by the remarks about Jews he made during his July arrest for driving while intoxicated. As most people have heard, Gibson is devoutly religious, which is what inspired him to make The Passion of the Christ. His church is a Catholic splinter group called traditionalist Catholics. The group feels the modern Catholic Church has abandoned the real faith. His father, 88-year-old Hutton Gibson, is well known for his writings that attack the Vatican.

LOS ANGELES - Mel Gibson said Tuesday he is not a bigot or an anti-Semite and he apologized to "everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words" he used when he was arrested for drunken driving.

Officials locked away deputy's account of the actor's alleged threats and anti-Semitic rants.

Hollywood Divided Over Whether Mel Gibson's Remarks After Arrest Will Cause Backlash

Allegations that police in Malibu tried to cover up an anti-Semitic outburst by Mel Gibson are to be investigated by an independent review body.