Shia LaBeouf was taken into custody in New Orleans during Mardi Gras festivities and is facing two misdemeanor battery charges, according to multiple reports.
Law enforcement sources told People the 39-year-old actor was arrested after an incident that occurred shortly after midnight on Tuesday in the French Quarter.
The confrontation took place outside a bar, though officials have not revealed what prompted it.
Video obtained by TMZ shows the actor shirtless and receiving medical attention from paramedics following the alleged altercation.
Additional details about injuries or other individuals involved have not been released.
A day after the arrest, LaBeouf posted a brief message on X, writing, "Free me."
The actor had been in New Orleans since Thursday last week for Mardi Gras celebrations, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The latest arrest follows a series of legal troubles involving the actor.
In December 2020, musician FKA Twigs filed a lawsuit accusing LaBeouf of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress.
Speaking to The New York Times at the time, Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, said, "What I went through with Shia was the worst thing I've ever been through in the whole of my life."
She added, "I don't think people would ever think that it would happen to me."
"But I think that's the thing. It can happen to anybody."
LaBeouf's legal team responded in court filings, stating he "denies, generally and specifically, each and every allegation contained in [Barnett]'s Complaint, denies that [Barnett] has sustained any injury or loss by reason of any act or omission on the part of [LaBeouf], and denies that [Barnett] is entitled to any relief or damages whatsoever," according to People.
The lawsuit was settled in July 2025.
Separately, in 2021, LaBeouf was ordered into a judicial diversion program stemming from a June 2020 confrontation in Los Angeles, People reported.
A complaint alleged he willfully and unlawfully used "force and violence upon" another person and drove away with the individual's hat, valued at less than $950. He entered a not guilty plea.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office told E! News that the diversion terms required LaBeouf to attend weekly therapy, including anger management, use a SoberLink monitoring device, submit to random alcohol testing, and continue participating in a 12-step sobriety program. Additional conditions barred him from using force or violence, possessing weapons, or contacting the alleged victim.
He was also ordered to stay 100 yards away from both the individual and the site of the confrontation and to comply with all court directives.
In 2017, LaBeouf was arrested in Georgia on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. He was later directed to complete court-ordered treatment.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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