Officials in Malibu said they were investigating a case of alleged domestic violence at the home of actor-director Mel Gibson and his Russian-born girlfriend.

The probe follows recent media reports of a Gibson tirade on the telephone with Oksana Grigorieva after she allegedly decided to go public about a January 6 beating she took from him.

The Malibu sheriff's department said in a statement it is "currently gathering information regarding the (beating) allegations.

"Due to the investigation being preliminary in nature, no other information is available at this time," it added without identifying who made the initial complaint.

The alleged beating incident took place at the couple's Malibu home.

Mr Gibson, 54, and Ms Grigorieva, 40, fathered a girl, Lucia, in October, months after the Lethal Weapon and Braveheart star divorced his wife, Robyn, and mother of his first seven children.

In the angry telephone call that was leaked to the media by entertainment website Radaronline.com, Mr Gibson allegedly insulted Ms Grigorieva and told her she "deserved" the beating she took because she was keeping their daughter away from him and ruining his career.

Ms Grigorieva, a singer who has a child from a prior relationship, told police officers she recorded Mr Gibson's telephone calls after his violent outbursts made her fear for her life, according to media reports.

Unmarried, the couple announced their friendly separation in April, but according to local media Ms Grigorieva decided to take Lucia's custody battle to court in light of Mr Gibson's abusive behaviour.

Australia-born Mr Gibson returned to acting after an eight-year absence starring in January's action thriller Edge of Darkness.

Mr Gibson's re-emergence was the latest step on the road to rehabilitation which has followed his 2006 bust for drunken-driving and subsequent revelations of anti-Semitic remarks made to police during that arrest.