It only takes one high-profile moment to reignite an old controversy.
And this time, it’s none other than Mel Gibson doing the honors.
During a chat with Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience, the Oscar-winning actor dove straight into a dramatic claim—one that’s now resurfacing a drug once dubbed the pandemic’s most unlikely poster child.
Mel’s Bold Claim on the Joe Rogan Podcast
“I’ve got a great story,” Mel Gibson began, leaning into the mic with that familiar dramatic flair.
“Three of my friends had stage 4 cancer. None of them have it anymore.”
Cue the double take.
When Rogan asked what miracle led to these supposed recoveries, Gibson didn’t hesitate.
He rattled off a list of treatments, the most eyebrow-raising being ivermectin—a drug originally designed to deworm livestock.
“This stuff works, man,” Gibson added, nodding like a man who’d just shared a profound truth.
Ivermectin Goes Viral—Again
That episode alone has racked up over 11 million views on YouTube since January.
And just like that, ivermectin—long dismissed by the medical community as a Covid red herring—is back in the spotlight.
But this time, the conversation isn’t about Covid. It’s about cancer.
Doctors, predictably, are alarmed.
Last week, oncologists issued fresh warnings, saying interest in ivermectin as a cancer treatment is “spreading like wildfire,” even though no clinical evidence supports it for that use in humans.
The Strange Journey of Ivermectin from Barns to Medicine Cabinets
Let’s back up. Ivermectin wasn’t always this controversial.
Introduced in the late ’70s for treating parasites in horses and livestock, it was later approved for humans to tackle things like head lice and scabies.
The scientists behind its development even won the Nobel Prize in 2015.
But in April 2020, during the chaotic early days of the pandemic, ivermectin entered the mainstream for all the wrong reasons.
Around the same time then-President Donald Trump mused publicly about injecting bleach, fringe communities started touting ivermectin as a Covid cure.
From Pandemic Panic to Anti-Vax Fuel
Early lab studies suggested ivermectin might do something against Covid molecules—but only at doses far higher than humans could safely handle.
That didn’t stop the rumor mill.
Conservative pundits like Phil Valentine (who later died of Covid), Joe Rogan, and Tucker Carlson championed the drug on air.
By 2021, prescriptions in the U.S. had skyrocketed to nine times pre-pandemic levels.
Facebook groups and Reddit forums exploded with dosage advice and where to buy it.
The FDA eventually clapped back with a blunt tweet:
“You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”
Mel Gibson Adds Fuel to the Fire
Now, Gibson’s public backing of ivermectin has given the narrative a new twist—this time suggesting the drug could be a cancer cure.
The story, while anecdotal, has picked up steam thanks to the actor’s fame and Rogan’s massive platform.
But experts say this isn’t just another celebrity oddity—it’s dangerous misinformation. Doctors like Dr. Samyukta Mullangi and Dr. Skyler Johnson have expressed serious concern.
According to them, there’s no credible evidence that ivermectin treats cancer in humans.
So… Is There Any Evidence at All?
There have been some animal studies—mostly involving mice—that hint at ivermectin’s potential effects on cancer cells.
But those doses, scientists say, would be toxic to humans.
At a recent oncology conference in Chicago, eight breast cancer patients were treated with a combo of ivermectin and immunotherapy. Only one had a mild response.
That result, doctors say, is exactly what you’d expect from immunotherapy alone.
The Influence of RFK Jr. and the Anti-Vax Echo Chamber
It’s worth noting that Gibson isn’t the only famous figure backing ivermectin. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Health Secretary and longtime vaccine critic, has praised the drug and supported Dr. Pierre Kory, a physician stripped of his medical certification for promoting it as a Covid miracle.
Kennedy has gone as far as to clean house on a federal vaccine advisory board, citing a need to restore public trust.
He even lobbied the FDA in 2021 to block Covid vaccine approvals, claiming existing treatments like ivermectin were being ignored.
The Public Fascination—and the Medical Frustration
The allure of a “miracle cure” is understandable, especially when it’s framed by familiar faces and emotional stories.
But medical professionals are growing frustrated. As Dr. Johnson explained, people’s fascination with an anti-parasitic horse drug over proven treatments is baffling.
“Ivermectin’s popularity has spread like wildfire,” he said, “but there’s no evidence it works against cancer in humans.”
What’s the Real Risk?
Besides giving people false hope, the growing belief in ivermectin’s powers could lead some patients to delay or avoid effective, science-backed treatments.
That’s the biggest danger—choosing unproven alternatives over therapies that could actually save lives.
Final Thoughts
So, does Mel Gibson really believe ivermectin cured his friends’ cancer? Maybe.
Is there scientific backing for that claim? Not even close.
But in an age where one viral soundbite can reignite global debates, it’s no wonder doctors are racing to set the record straight—again.