Mel Gibson Admits Slapping, But Not Hitting Hysterical Oksana Grigorieva

(HMG Celebrity News) – In a sworn declaration in the custody war with his ex girlfriend, referring to the explosive argument between the two, which triggered the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department domestic violence investigation, Mel Gibson admits slapping Oksana Grigorieva because he says she was so hysterical she was endangering the baby … but he denies hitting her.

Grigorieva claims on the night of January 6, 2010, Gibson punched her in the temple and in the mouth, knocking out two teeth, but Gibson’s story could establish a defense to a domestic violence charge — using reasonable force to protect a child from injury.

But according to his declaration, dated June 23, 2010 and filed with the court, which TMZ obtained, Gibson says he and Grigorieva were having one of their frequent arguments at his Malibu home, when Oksana grabbed Lucia out her of bassinet, brought her right in the middle of the argument and screamed, “Stop yelling or you will make her into a retarded brain damaged idiot!”

Gibson states Grigorieva then “spun around,” ran into her older son’s room and then out into the backyard, which is dangerous at night, because it is set on different levels and dimly lit. Mel says he begged Oksana to bring Lucia back inside, and that’s when Grigorieva ran back into her older son’s room, and “started swinging Lucia erratically in her arms, jerking her body from side to side to keep Lucia out of my reach.”

Gibson adds Grigorieva was “hysterical” and her “rapid movements were causing Lucia’s little body to be flung from one side to the other, her head shaking violently.” Gigson says he feared Shaken Baby Syndrome.

As she refused to hand the baby over and continued with “rough and erratic movements,” Mel says, “I slapped Oksana one time with an open hand in an attempt to bring her back to reality. I did not slap her hard, I was just trying to shock her so that she would stop screaming, continuing shaking Lucia back and forth.”

Gibson concedes, “While I do not believe I handled the situation as well as I should have, I was worried about the rough way Oksana was shaking and tossing Lucia around,” adding, “My hand never touched any part of Lucia.” As we’ve already reported, the pediatrician who examined Lucia the next day saw no evidence of injury.

And Gibson says, “There was never any blood on Grigorieva and none of her teeth were ‘broken,’ although one of the false veneers from a tooth apparently did come off, I did not see that occur at the time.”

However badly Gibson may have acted it seems Oksana Grigorieva is her own worst enemy.   Defying a court order, Oksana was reported to have recorded a full fledged intimate interview with CNN talk show host Larry King on November 13,2010, according to RadarOnline. The tell all interview took place at CNN’s studio and is scheduled to air in an hour long Larry King Live special on November 22,2010.  Oksana did the interview despite Judge Scott Gordon telling her that if she did media, she might pay when it comes to awarding custody.