Winona Ryder responds to Mel Gibson's denial of anti-Semitic remark

Winona Ryder has responded to Mel Gibson's denial Tuesday that he had made an anti-Semitic and a homophobic remark at a long-ago party both had attended.

"I believe in redemption and forgiveness and hope that Mr. Gibson has found a healthy way to deal with his demons, but I am not one of them," the actress, 48, said in a statement. "Around 1996, my friend [the late celebrity makeup artist] Kevyn Aucoin and I were on the receiving end of his hateful words. It is a painful and vivid memory for me. Only by accepting responsibility for our behavior in this life, can we make amends and truly respect each other, and I wish him well on this lifelong journey."

Ryder this weekend told the London newspaper The Sunday Times that Gibson, 64, had "said to my friend, who's gay, 'Oh wait, am I gonna get AIDS?' And then something came up about Jews, and he said, 'You're not an oven dodger, are you?' " Gibson's representative called her recollection "100% untrue. She lied about it over a decade ago, when she talked to the press, and she's lying about it now."