Mel Gibson denies shoving and spitting at female photographer who took a picture of him with his girlfriend in Sydney

Kristi Miller claims the actor 'shoved her really hard' after she photographed him leaving a cinema

Mel Gibson (Reuters)

Mel Gibson has denied pushing and spitting in a female photographer’s face as she took pictures of him with his girlfriend in Sydney.

The Daily Telegraph's Kristi Miller told her employers she feared the actor, 59, was going to hit her during the alleged altercation, which she said ended when his 24-year-old girlfriend, Rosalind Ross, stepped in.

But Gibson’s publicist Alan Nierob dismissed her claims of physical contact, telling The Guardian: “Basically Mr Gibson and his friend were being harassed by this photographer and he asked her repeatedly to stop, which she did not.

“There was never any physical contact whatsoever."

Miller said the incident began when she was photographing Gibson and Ross as they left the Palace Verona cinema in Paddington.

“I took a photo of Mel and his girlfriend and when I turned around he shoved my back really hard,” she said. “It shocked me because I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know if it was his hands or elbow.

“He was spitting in my face as he was yelling at me, calling me a dog, saying I’m not even a human being and I will go to hell. He swore and called me a c**t. It was non-stop, he didn’t even breathe.”

Miller claimed Ross grabbed Gibson’s shoulder, told him “that’s enough” and apologised to her before the pair walked away.

Surry Hills police confirmed they are investigating the incident and asked anyone with information to come forward.