Mel Gibson's Rome Kiss Wasn't Romance—He's Single and Wrapping Passion 2

Those photos of Mel Gibson locking lips with Italian celeb Antonella Salvucci in Rome got the rumor mill spinning—but hold the wedding bells. The actor-director is very much single, and those PDA pics were simply a goodbye to a friend as he wrapped production on a massive biblical project overseas.

Gibson just returned to the U.S. about a month ago after finishing“The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One,”the long-awaited sequel to his 2004 blockbuster“The Passion of the Christ.”That’s a lot of ground to cover when you’re working on a follow-up to one of the highest-grossing faith-based films ever made, so the timing checks out—especially when you’re in a different country wrapping principal photography.

The split with longtime partner Rosalind Ross happened last year after nine years together and one child. So Gibson’s been navigating single life for a bit, even if the paparazzi photos suggested otherwise. What’s actually newsworthy here is the ambitious project he’s just wrapped: a sequel to a film that became a cultural phenomenon over two decades ago. Now comes the real work—post-production on something bound to be scrutinized from every angle, both artistically and religiously. Gibson’s moving into the grinding phase of filmmaking, which means his focus is back stateside and squarely on the edit bay, not on dating headlines.

For fans of the original film, this sequel announcement alone carries serious weight. Whether it lands depends entirely on Gibson’s execution and vision—not his relationship status.