Actor Shia LaBeouf has admitted to authorities in New Orleans that he continues to consume alcohol on a daily basis while serving probation for battery.
Court documents filed in Orleans Parish and reviewed on Wednesday show that the 40-year-old actor also declined mental health treatment, though he remains in contact with his probation officer.
LaBeouf has submitted evidence indicating he is slated to complete mandatory anger management courses and substance abuse treatment by September. TMZ also reported on Wednesday, following a review of court filings in the case, that the actor told officials he continues to drink daily and declined mental health care.
The filing further stated that LaBeouf will not be physically present for a court hearing scheduled for September 23 due to a work obligation on a forthcoming film.
Details of the February Bar Incident
The probation stems from LaBeouf's arrest on February 17 near the historic French Quarter in New Orleans, after which he was released on bail. Video footage of the encounter showed a shirtless LaBeouf outside a bar shoving one person to the ground and hitting another person in the face, "causing his nose to possibly dislocate," according to a New Orleans police report.
Police reported that LaBeouf repeatedly used homophobic slurs during the encounter and while being taken into custody.
LaBeouf pleaded guilty to three counts of simple battery. Orleans Parish Judge Juana Marine-Lombard handed down a six-month suspended sentence and two years of probation, while ordering the actor to stay away from the victims and the bar.
Representatives for LaBeouf were reached for comment by The Daily Mail regarding the latest court filing, but have not yet responded.
Victim Claims and Legal Response
In a statement issued in June, representative Chervinsky told The Daily Mail that LaBeouf wanted "to take accountability for his part in what happened," describing the incident as a "minor Mardi Gras bar tussle" and asserting there was "no evidence it was about bias or prejudice."
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams stated that his office consulted directly with the victims to ensure their support before offering LaBeouf the plea bargain.
Local entertainer Jeffrey Damnit, identified by police as Jeffrey Klein, said he was among those attacked by LaBeouf. Damnit alleged that LaBeouf pushed him from behind at the bar earlier in the night, shouting homophobic slurs and threatening his life.
An attorney representing Damnit said his client hopes the actor's behavior will improve after LaBeouf undergoes substance abuse treatment.
Attorney Michael Kennedy commented on the case, saying, "In New Orleans we are all equal, we should all feel safe, and we don't treat people different based upon relative fame."
Rehabilitation and Public Statements
Following the initial charges in February, a judge ordered LaBeouf to return to drug and alcohol rehabilitation. However, days later, the actor denied having a "drinking problem" in an interview with journalist and YouTuber Andrew Callaghan, expressing skepticism that rehab would help him.
LaBeouf told Callaghan that the issues leading to his aggressive behavior during Mardi Gras were rooted in "anger and ego" rather than alcohol.
During the same interview, LaBeouf made controversial remarks regarding his personal fears, telling Callaghan that "big gay people are scary to me." He added, "When I'm standing by myself and three gay dudes are next to me touching my leg, I get scared," before adding, "I'm sorry. If that's homophobic, then I'm that."
Hollywood Career and Past Legal Troubles
LaBeouf gained early fame as a child star on the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, which ran for three seasons from 2000 to 2003 alongside co-star Christy Carlson Romano. He later achieved global blockbuster stardom in 2007's Transformers opposite Megan Fox and in 2008's Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.
The actor, who converted to Catholicism a few years ago, has recorded several prior run-ins with the law during his career. In 2017, he was arrested in New York City on suspicion of assault during a livestream.
Later in 2017, while filming The Peanut Butter Falcon on location in Georgia, LaBeouf was arrested for public drunkenness, accused of disorderly conduct and obstruction, and sentenced to probation. In 2020, he was charged with misdemeanor battery and petty theft in Los Angeles.
Also in 2020, English singer and actor FKA Twigs, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit alleging LaBeouf was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship. The lawsuit was settled in July.
