Shia LaBeouf has said he believes he needs to address his “small man complex” rather than undergo another round of substance abuse treatment following his recent arrest on allegations that he battered three men at a New Orleans bar while hurling homophobic slurs at them.
The Transformers star was arrested on 17 February after allegedly punching two men and head-butting a third at the R Bar in New Orleans’s Marigny section. He was accused of calling the men anti-gay slurs, including the word “faggot”. One of the alleged victims identifies as queer, and another dresses in drag.
In an interview with the online outlet Channel 5, posted on 26 February, LaBeouf acknowledged his behaviour was “bullshit” but said he did not think rehab was the answer. “I think I have a small man complex,” he said, adding that the issue was more about “anger and ego” than his drinking.
During the interview, LaBeouf also said “big gay people are scary” to him and claimed he felt scared when “three gay dudes are next to me, touching my leg”. His comments have fuelled speculation that he could face hate crime charges under Louisiana law, which provides for enhanced penalties for crimes motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived gender or sexual orientation.
At a preliminary hearing on 24 February, Judge Simone Levine ordered LaBeouf to post a $100,000 bond and undergo drug testing and substance abuse treatment after a drug and alcohol test left her concerned he did not take his addiction seriously. He was also arrested on a further warrant for allegedly head-butting a third man, with a separate $5,000 bail set.
LaBeouf has since been released on bail pending the outcome of the case. He told Channel 5: “I’ll live with whatever goes on. God bless them all.”
