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Shia LaBeouf was ordered to undergo an immediate drug test after his arrest in New Orleans and must return to rehab. The actor, known from “Holes”, was arrested on two counts of simple assault during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans earlier this month.
The 39-year-old avoided prison time by agreeing to undergo treatment and was released on $100,000 bail on Thursday. He also agreed to weekly drug tests. LaBeouf was arrested after law enforcement officials said he “caused a disturbance” and behaved increasingly “aggressively” before punching two people in a fight outside a bar near the French Quarter. According to a police report, LaBeouf is said to have shouted homophobic insults at those involved.
Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Simone Levine reprimanded a visibly affected LaBeouf from the bench, the Associated Press reported. She said he didn’t seem to be taking his “alcohol addiction seriously” and doubted he could “manage his drinking.” Levine also rejected LaBeouf’s request to travel to Rome in March for “religious occasions” – including his father’s baptism.
“This court does not believe it understands the seriousness of these allegations,” Levine said, adding that LaBeouf’s behavior raises concerns about “the safety of the broader community, particularly a marginalized LGBTQ+ community that has experienced so much terror.”
LaBeouf has not yet been formally charged. His local defense attorney, Sarah Chervinsky, objected to the rehabilitation order and $100,000 bail: It is not a crime to be drunk during Mardi Gras, local media reported. Chervinsky said her client’s drug test taken Thursday did not detect any illegal substances in his blood. (ROLLING STONE has reached out to Chervinsky for further comment.)
Over the Mardi Gras weekend, several videos circulated on social media showing an apparently drunk LaBeouf partying on the streets of New Orleans – including the scene that led to his arrest. After his release, LaBeouf was spotted drinking a beer and being photographed watching the raucous celebrations with fans.
Disturbing behavior on a film set
Months before LaBeouf’s arrest, his increasingly erratic behavior on the set of his upcoming film “The Rooster Prince” had been causing concern, production sources previously told Rolling Stone. “He was completely out of control,” says a production member who worked on the film set in Oklahoma last November. “I don’t think he’s stable. I don’t think he has been for a while.”
LaBeouf has been open about his alleged sobriety in the past, saying in 2020 that he was in therapy and a 12-step program after FKA Twigs accused him of physical, emotional and psychological abuse during their relationship. As recently as March of last year, he claimed to be sober and cited actors like Mel Gibson and Sean Penn as those who helped him.
