Shia LaBeouf has stirred up some controversy once again, this time with comments he made about gay men in a recent interview. The 39-year-old actor sat down with Andrew Callaghan for a Channel 5 interview, which took place on February 24 and was released on February 28. This was just days after LaBeouf's arrest in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras celebrations.
During the hour-long conversation, LaBeouf addressed the incident that led to his arrest and also spoke about the allegations of him using a homophobic slur. At one point, he admitted, "Big gay people are scary to me. When I'm standing by myself and three gay dudes are next to me, touching my leg, I get scared. I'm sorry. If that's homophobic then I'm that."
He went on to explain, "I was drunk and then I felt infringed upon in terms of my proximity. But I wasn't in my right mind, and so it's on me." LaBeouf also took responsibility for using unacceptable language, saying, "I said words not ok to say. I don't want to hurt nobody's feelings... I'm wrong for what I did."
The comments were made after LaBeouf's arrest on Mardi Gras morning, where he was taken into custody for suspicion of two counts of simple battery. According to police reports, two men were identified as victims in the case. One of them, Jeffrey "Damnit" Klein, alleged that LaBeouf shouted a homophobic slur at him while trying to confront him physically. Klein, who was dressed in drag for the celebrations, even shared cellphone footage that appeared to show the actor in the back of an emergency vehicle glancing toward him and repeating the same slur.
In the video, Klein can be heard responding, "Keep on calling me [slur]." Another man, Nathan Thomas Reed, also stated that he was subjected to the same language and wanted it to be known that the term was used repeatedly. Images from the scene showed LaBeouf being restrained and thrown to the ground during the altercation. Court records later revealed that he is facing two counts of simple battery.
Witnesses from various bars on the night of the incident described LaBeouf as arriving shirtless and without cash, appearing very intoxicated and repeatedly asking, "Do you know who I am?" He was also said to be acting belligerent. The actor posted a $100,000 bond and made a court appearance on Thursday, after which he was required to check into rehab and undergo regular drug and alcohol testing.
In the interview with Channel 5, LaBeouf explained that he had moved to New Orleans after the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, citing his deep family roots in the area. He even shared details of his family history, revealing that his paternal grandmother was a lesbian who married a man to hide her sexuality from the public eye. He also mentioned that his surname was originally spelled LeBoeuf, but his grandmother changed it after being disowned by her family.
When asked about his views on sexuality, LaBeouf said, "I'm good with gay. Be gay over there though. Don't be gay in my lap." He also briefly discussed his failed marriage to actress Mia Goth, with whom he shares a daughter, Isabel, who will turn four in March. "It's not new heartbreak. I don't want to talk too much about it. It's not my story alone to tell, but my side is I failed my marriage, so I had to own up to that. So that's why I moved out here," he shared.
LaBeouf's recent comments have faced backlash online, adding to the scrutiny he has been under since his arrest. The actor has not made any further statements about the incident. If you have any information or a celebrity story, you can reach out to us by emailing or calling our entertainment team, or by visiting our Submit Stuff page. We would love to hear from you.
