Mel Gibson, Mago (Mango) Island

Actor Mel Gibson bought Mago Island from a Japanese corporation in 2005, but locals claim the sale wasn't valid because their ancestors were evicted from Mago Island in the 19th century.

The Fijian government has no plans to become involved because the island is freehold property; the transaction was simply between a buyer and a seller, approved by the Land Minister. In Fiji, indigenous landholding is a controversial issue, having inspired many coups to date. Some feel the claim is merely an attempt to extort money after locals heard about the huge sum of money being exchanged. Other locals claim that Gibson has been nothing but kind to the locals, employing them on Mago Island.

Where is Mago (Mango) Island?

Mel Gibson's island was the subject of a spoof on an episode of "30 Rock" called "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning." Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) discovers that the biggest ratings come from celebrity benefits for natural disasters. When disaster rocks an island called Mago, Donaghy airs a prerecorded telethon to benefit the victims of the disaster. He is shocked to find the only victims are troubled actor Mel Gibson and his guest, Jon Gosselin. The fictional reportage says that Gibson's houseful of cars were damaged and some of his anti-Semitic and misogynistic literature was in danger.

Mago Island remains undeveloped. Satellite images reveal a dirt airstrip, but there is no port on the island. Mago remains pretty much untouched by development with just one small village occupied by a few Fijian caretakers. Environmentalists can breathe easy as Gibson has no plans to build anything lavish.