It was this past February that Shia LaBeouf was arrested in New Orleans after embarking upon a bar crawl during Mardi Gras. LaBeouf was reportedly taken into custody (and taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries) after getting into an altercation with several men. Since initially being booked on two counts of simple battery, the actor has been navigating the aftermath and has also been wrapped up in a few subsequent controversies. Now, sources are making claims about what’s been fueling LaBeouf’s behavior as of late.
LaBeouf (29) initially released a brief message on social media after his arrest, “free me,” before sharing extensive thoughts about his Mardi Gras arrest during an interview with Andrew Callaghan. The Peanut Butter Falcon star took responsibility for the fight, which reportedly happened after he yelled homophobic slurs at the men he later came to blows with. Per a source who spoke to RadarOnline, people in LaBeouf’s personal orbit are concerned about his actions and believe it goes deeper than “sobriety”:
This isn’t just about sobriety. It’s about anger, trauma, insecurity and deep-rooted issues he keeps ignoring. That podcast was basically a cry for help.
Over the years, LaBeouf has been candid about his struggles with staying sober and previously sought long-term care for rehabilitation. During his interview with Callaghan, though, the former child star asserted that rehab didn’t have the “answers” he needed this time around. LaBeouf then went on to express his belief that he possessed a “small-man complex” and that it was negatively affecting him. The previously cited source shared more thoughts on the NOLA situation and why this reportedly signifies a pattern for the actor:
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He was totally out of control and aggressive. This is the same self-destructive cycle people have watched him suffer through for years. It’s very sad. He has a good heart and so much potential, but he’s also got this dark side that he needs to deal with or it’s going to take him down for good.
Weeks ago, Shia LaBeouf appeared in New Orleans Criminal District Court, where he stood before Judge Simone Levine. Not only did Judge Levine order him to pay a bond of $100,000, but she also instructed him to attend rehab. Sometime after that court appearance, another arrest warrant was issued against LaBeouf in connection to a third purported victim in that Mardi Gras fight. An alleged friend of the Disturbia alum also spoke about his behavior and explained why they’re concerned about him:
It’s no secret he’s got issues with alcohol, but that’s not all he’s dealing with. He needs serious therapy – or this is going to end in total disaster.
LaBeouf’s bond was eventually paid off, with the actor suggesting during his interview that some celebrity friends helped make that happen. Right now, LaBeouf is in Rome after receiving permission to travel there for his father’s baptism. His time in that city hasn’t been without controversy either, as he made headlines for apparently yelling at a woman sitting beside him at a restaurant.
Aside from all the legal drama, Shia LaBeouf admitted that he split from his wife, Mia Goth, but that the two are still continuing to co-parent their 3-year-old daughter, Isabel. It’s also been alleged, though, that Goth is also concerned about her ex’s well-being not unlike the sources who recently dropped those claims about his mental state.