Shia LaBeouf arrested at Mardi Gras, New Orleans: Transformers star accused of assaulting two men

Actor and filmmaker Shia LaBeouf has been arrested after allegedly getting into a physical altercation during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans.

Well known for his role in the Transformers film franchise, the actor has had a complicated relationship with alcohol, which has caused problems in his career and in his marriage to actress Mia Goth.

Over the years, LaBeouf has been open about his struggles with alcohol abuse, stating in interviews that he had made it through almost a year of sobriety around September 2016. He said that he was attending AA meetings at the time and knew that alcohol made him act in ways that he shouldn’t.

On Tuesday local time, the 39-year-old was arrested after being accused of hitting two men during Mardi Gras celebrations. LaBeouf was charged with two counts of simple battery, New Orleans police said in a statement.

He remains behind bars in Louisiana and is due to appear before a judge on Tuesday local time, Page Six confirmed.

Footage obtained by TMZ shows a shirtless LaBeouf receiving medical treatment from paramedics following the alleged scuffle. It remains unclear what prompted the confrontation.

LaBeouf had reportedly been in New Orleans since Thursday for Mardi Gras festivities, spending the weekend moving between bars and local hotspots.

Details surrounding the alleged Mardi Gras altercation remain limited.

Robert Skuse, a doorman at the 24-hour dive bar Ms Mae’s, said the actor was “somewhat belligerent” when he approached the venue without a shirt or cash, allegedly performing a “do you know who I am?” routine after being denied entry.

According to bar employee Kyle Catarouch, LaBeouf later returned with a shirt and paid by credit card, but was asked to leave after attempting to “be a celebrity bartender.”

An unnamed bartender from another establishment described the actor as “terrorising the city.”

LaBeouf was also reportedly seen at multiple venues, including Dos Jefes, 45 Tchoup and Brothers III Lounge. TMZ footage showed him wearing an elaborate hat and holding a beer while celebrating at R Bar on Monday.

The incident has fans concerned for the star’s well-being, especially as LaBeouf has vocally detailed his recovery from addiction and described a personal transformation following years of controversy.

In a 2022 Vanity Fair letter, LaBeouf revealed he had been sober for more than a year and a half after what he described as a “great humbling”.

Later that month, while speaking with Word on Fire Catholic Ministries’ Bishop Robert Barron, he credited former partner FKA Twigs with “saving (his) life” after she publicly accused him of “relentless abuse” in a 2020 lawsuit.

When the lawsuit dropped, the filmmaker told the New York Times, “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalisations. I am committed to doing what I need to do to recover, and I will forever be sorry to the people that I may have harmed along the way.”

LaBeouf denied “each and every one” of Twigs’ claims, but later said their legal battle gave him a “perspective shift.” The former couple reached a private settlement in 2025.

He also publicly praised his now ex-wife Mia Goth, with whom he shares a three-year-old daughter, for standing by him during treatment.

In a 2023 Real Ones interview with Jon Bernthal, he said, “She was present for me at a time when I didn’t deserve to have anybody in my life, especially her.”

Reports have since emerged that LaBeouf quietly separated from Goth nearly a year ago and has relocated to New Orleans to be closer to family and friends.