Shia LaBeouf pleaded guilty on Wednesday to misdemeanour battery charges stemming from an altercation at a New Orleans bar in February. The actor received a two-year probation sentence, with conditions including alcohol rehabilitation, sensitivity training, and anger management classes.
The charges arose from an incident on 17 February at the R Bar in the Marigny neighbourhood, where LaBeouf punched two men and head-butted a third. Police stated that bar staff asked him to leave after he became aggressive and directed homophobic slurs at the victims. One victim, Jeffrey Damnit, recorded video of LaBeouf using the slur 'faggot'.
LaBeouf's attorney, Sarah Chervinsky, described the incident as 'nothing more than a minor bar tussle' and denied that his actions were driven by bias. However, the district attorney's office noted that all victims supported the plea agreement. Damnit's attorney, Michael Kennedy, said the outcome showed that 'everyone in New Orleans is equal' and hoped LaBeouf would take the required programmes seriously.
LaBeouf faces six months in jail if he violates probation. This is not his first legal trouble; he was previously arrested in 2014 for disrupting a Broadway show and in 2017 for disorderly conduct, both involving homophobic language.
