Actor Shia LaBeouf Faces Battery Charges After New Orleans Bar Altercation

Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf has been charged with battery following an incident at a New Orleans bar during Mardi Gras celebrations. Police reports indicate the 39-year-old actor became aggressive and struck multiple patrons while allegedly using homophobic slurs.

NEW ORLEANS — Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf is facing battery charges following a violent altercation at a New Orleans establishment during Fat Tuesday celebrations, where authorities say he attacked several patrons while shouting anti-gay slurs.

According to a police incident report obtained through public records, the 39-year-old actor grew increasingly hostile throughout the evening at the Royal Street Inn & R Bar, located near the famous French Quarter, where he punched several individuals.

Local performer Jeffrey Damnit, identified in official documents as Jeffrey Klein, confirmed he was among those targeted in LaBeouf’s alleged rampage.

“He hit me, he connected a few times with punches, he pushed me a few times,” Damnit told reporters.

The entertainer described how LaBeouf “just got nuts” while attempting to provoke confrontations and threatening to physically harm him and other patrons. Damnit explained that earlier in the evening, LaBeouf had shoved him from behind while screaming homophobic epithets and making death threats.

Wearing cosmetics and lipstick at the time, Damnit believes his appearance triggered LaBeouf’s violent behavior.

“That’s just somehow something that set him off, angered him and gave him a direction for his anger,” Damnit explained. “This guy wants me to be dead because I wear makeup. It’s a screwed up thing.”

Surveillance footage captured a bare-chested LaBeouf pushing one victim to the floor and punching another person in the face, “causing his nose to possibly dislocate,” the police documentation reveals.

Despite attempts by Damnit and other bar patrons to restrain LaBeouf and convince him to depart, he refused to leave and escalated his aggressive behavior, according to witness accounts and official reports.

Officers responded to the scene at approximately 12:45 a.m. during the height of the city’s renowned Fat Tuesday festivities.

Additional footage captured by Damnit and provided to news outlets shows LaBeouf appearing to mouth homophobic slurs while being taken into custody. The police report confirms he continued using such language throughout his arrest.

“These f–––––s put me in jail,” LaBeouf stated, before informing officers of his Catholic faith, according to the documentation.

“I didn’t shove nobody, I never touched nobody,” LaBeouf can be heard telling New Orleans officers in Damnit’s recorded video.

LaBeouf’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment. In the early morning hours of February 18, LaBeouf posted “Free me” on his social media account.

A New Orleans magistrate released LaBeouf from jail on Tuesday without requiring bail, confirmed Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Gary Scheets. The actor is charged with two counts of simple battery.

Subsequent video footage shows LaBeouf celebrating in the French Quarter, apparently displaying his jail release documentation while dancing.

Damnit, who belongs to the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, expressed concern that pursuing charges against LaBeouf might negatively impact his entertainment career.

This incident adds to LaBeouf’s growing list of legal issues. Following a 2017 New York arrest for public intoxication and disorderly behavior that was broadcast live online, he was mandated to complete rehabilitation treatment.

Later in 2017, while filming “The Peanut Butter Falcon” in Georgia, he faced another arrest for public drunkenness and accusations of disorderly conduct and obstruction, resulting in probation.

Los Angeles authorities charged him with misdemeanor battery and petty theft in 2020.

That same year, British singer and actress FKA Twigs, legally named Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit claiming LaBeouf subjected her to physical and emotional abuse during their romantic relationship. The case was resolved through settlement in July.

Barnett alleged that LaBeouf maintained a pattern of intimidation and degradation, including slamming her against a vehicle, attempting to choke her, and deliberately transmitting a sexually transmitted infection.

Following the lawsuit’s filing, LaBeouf issued a public apology. However, in a 2021 legal response, he disputed the allegations and denied responsibility for any harm or damages Barnett claimed to have suffered.

The performer initially rose to prominence as a young actor on Disney Channel’s “Even Stevens” before transitioning to adult roles. His most recognizable performances include starring in 2007’s “Transformers” and 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.”

LaBeouf and actress Mia Goth welcomed a daughter in 2022.