By Tasnim Oyshi
Staff Writer
Former child star Shia LaBeouf was charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery during New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration on Feb. 17. He allegedly assaulted two people at Royal Street Inn & R Bar while shouting homophobic slurs.
Police were at the bar after receiving calls at 12:45 a.m. about “disturbance” and “aggressive behavior” from LaBeouf. When an employee brought him outside, he started hitting a man repeatedly, according to AP News,
“Witnesses told police that LaBeouf left the area but later returned and continued to act aggressively,” reported AP News. Police said that he was being restrained until they got to the premises.
In addition to hitting the first man, LaBeouf allegedly hit him again and punched another man in the face. Local entertainer Jeffrey Damnit was revealed to be one of the people allegedly assaulted in a police report that AP News acquired.
According to Damnit, LaBeouf punched and pushed him and threatened others that he would assault them as well. Earlier that night, LaBeouf had allegedly called Damnit homophobic slurs, while pushing him from behind and making threats to his life. “Damnit was wearing eye makeup and lipstick and said he believes his appearance motivated LaBeouf’s attack,” reported AP News.
The second man was reported to be Nathan Thomas Reed, who identifies as queer, according to The Guardian. While Reed said that he was not looking to fight, LaBeouf had also repeatedly called Reed the same slur and punched him in the nose.
LaBeouf was released without having to pay a bond. He had also posted “Free me” to his X account on Feb. 18. “LaBeouf was seen partying on Bourbon Street – a lively spot during New Orleans’s Mardi Gras revelry – after his release from jail,” stated The Guardian. “He had Mardi Gras beads around his neck and danced with his jail release papers in his mouth at one point.”
On Feb. 19, Damnit said he wanted to see LaBeouf charged under hate crime law in the state, according to The Guardian. He expressed how the actor’s behavior could normalize his actions if he did not face actual consequences.
LaBeouf had moved to New Orleans after a split with ex-wife Mia Goth a year ago. According to People, there had been a 911 response to a verbal altercation at their home in Los Angeles a year before their separation. The call included a woman asking a man to leave. While a police spokesman informed People that the woman and man were living in the house, the 911 report did not include any names.
LaBeouf has been known to be a controversial figure in the past, struggling with alcoholism and addiction and previous criminal charges. In 2017, he was arrested in Georgia for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. In 2020, FKA Twigs filed a lawsuit against him with allegations of “sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress,” according to People. LaBeouf is currently scheduled to appear in court on March 19.
