Mel Gibson's Ex-Girlfriend May Extort Money from Actor, Detectives Believe

Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives were "looking into" whether Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend tried to extort money from him in connection with a series of taped phone calls and allegations of domestic abuse, an official said Wednesday.

Photo: Mel Gibson's Ex-Girlfriend May Extort Money from Actor, Detectives Believe

Sheriff's detectives already have been examining allegations by Oksana Grigorieva that Gibson hurt her and their child. Now, that inquiry has been expanded to include the extortion allegations, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the sheriff's department.

Sources familiar with the ongoing domestic-abuse investigation said detectives met with Gibson's lawyers Tuesday, The Los Angeles Times reports.

According to KGMI, Oksana Grigorieva is facing her own police investigation into allegations she attempted to extort $10 million from her ex-boyfriend Mel Gibson to keep recordings of his vile telephone rants private.

Secret audio tapes allegedly featuring an enraged Gibson hurling expletives and abuse at the Russian singer emerged days after Grigorieva accused her ex of hitting her during heated arguments before they split earlier this year.

Los Angeles police have since launched a domestic violence investigation into her claims as the former couple fight over custody of their baby girl, Lucia.