Actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested in New Orleans early Wednesday morning following allegations of simple battery during Mardi Gras celebrations, according to New Orleans police. The arrest occurred around 12:45 a.m. Local time in the French Quarter after officers responded to reports of a disturbance.
Police stated that LaBeouf was allegedly involved in an altercation with two men. According to police reports, an employee of an unnamed business attempted to remove LaBeouf from the premises when the actor allegedly struck a man “multiple times with closed fists” outside. Witnesses informed police that LaBeouf initially left the area but subsequently returned, continuing to act aggressively.
Authorities reported that several individuals attempted to restrain LaBeouf until officers arrived. One of the men allegedly struck by LaBeouf told police he was hit again after the initial assault. A second man claimed LaBeouf punched him in the nose. LaBeouf was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries before being taken into police custody.
As of Wednesday afternoon, court and jail records did not indicate whether LaBeouf had retained legal counsel. Attempts to reach LaBeouf’s publicists for comment were unsuccessful.
This is not LaBeouf’s first encounter with law enforcement. In early 2017, he was arrested in New York City for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, an incident captured on a livestream. He was later required to attend court-mandated rehabilitation. Later that same year, while filming The Peanut Butter Falcon in Georgia, he was arrested again on charges of public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and obstruction, resulting in a probation sentence. In 2020, he faced misdemeanor battery and petty theft charges in Los Angeles.
Also in 2020, LaBeouf was named in a lawsuit filed by singer and actor FKA Twigs, alleging physical and emotional abuse during their relationship. The lawsuit detailed allegations of abuse, including being slammed into a car, attempted strangulation, and the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease. The case was settled in July of that year. LaBeouf issued a statement apologizing following the filing of the lawsuit, but denied the accusations in a 2021 court filing, asserting he was not responsible for any injuries or damages claimed by Twigs.
LaBeouf began his career as a child actor, gaining recognition on the Disney Channel series Even Stevens. He has since appeared in prominent films such as Transformers (2007) and Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (2008). He shares a daughter, born in 2022, with actor Mia Goth.
