AceShowbiz -

Mel Gibson's stepmom wants her actor stepson to stay away from her. Teddy Joye Hicks Gibson, who is entangled in a messy divorce with the "Braveheart" star's father John Hutton Gibson, accuses the actor of being violent towards her.

78-year-old Teddy claims Mel, 56, terrorizes and screams at her when he loses his temper. He allegedly has also forced her to move out of the house she shares with John and banned her from talking to her 93-year-old estranged husband.

"Mel has sunken to new lows over the last year by committing several acts of domestic violence against his 78-year-old stepmother," she says. "It is only a matter of time before Mel crosses the line even further and physically assaults me."

In addition to fearing for her safety, Teddy needs space in order to discuss the divorce with John without Mel's presence. She says the divorce comes as a complete surprise to her and there are "a lot of questions about (John's) filing of divorce against me."

Afraid that her stepson "manipulated Hutton while he was in a weakened physical or mental state due to illness," she needs to make sure that "both he (John) is OK and not being manipulated by Mel or into a course of action he does not wish to take."

In her suit, Teddy mentions that she has friction with Mel and his sister regarding the Gibson patriarch's medical care. "And Mel made it clear that Joye's views on anything were not welcome and only caused him to be irritated and were ignored," she claims.