Shia LaBeouf addresses Mardi Gras arrest and says “big gay people are scary to me”
Shia LaBeouf has publicly addressed his recent arrest at Mardi Gras in New Orleans over an alleged assault and accusations the alleged incident was a homophobic hate crime.
LaBeouf was arrested on February 17th during Mardi Gras and is facing two charges of simple battery in connection with an alleged assault of two men.
He was subsequently accused by Jeffrey Damnit, real name Jeffrey Klein, of using homophobic slurs before assaulting him at a bar on Royal Street in New Orleans, before the actor was arrested and claimed it was a homophobic hate crime.
Per The Guardian, Dammit, who was wearing mascara, eye shadow and lipstick during the alleged incident, claimed that LaBeouf tried to attack him “while screaming, ‘You’re a fucking faggot’.”
Additionally, Nathan Thomas Reed, who is the other person named as a victim in the case, told the publication, “I want it to be known that he was calling people faggot.”
Now, in a new interview with Andrew Callaghan on Channel 5 News, LaBeouf stated of the incident,” I’ll be honest with you, big gay people are scary to me”.
He added, “When I’m like standing by myself and three gays are next to me, touching my leg, I get scared. I’m sorry. If that’s homophobic, then I’m that.”
LaBeouf also said of the legal active case, “I am wrong for touching anyone. Ever. And that’s the end of my statement on this whole shit.”
He then said of his attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community, “I’ve never had no problem with gay people, never. I remember paying for people’s transition surgery when I was fucking around on the internet heavy. I’ve never been adversarial towards it.”
However, LaBeouf then added that he’s “deep in the Bible and I know what the Bible says about homosexuality”, before describing himself as a “traditional Catholic”.
LaBeouf, who has previously been to rehab and spoken about his past substance issues, also said in the interview that he is against the idea of returning to a treatment facility.
The actor shared, “I don’t think I have a drinking problem, I think I have a different problem. And I’m going to address it, I think I have a small-man complex.”
He then told Callaghan that he believes his issues stem from “anger and ego more so than my drinking”.
It comes after LaBeouf was recently ordered by a judge in New Orleans to attend substance abuse treatment, undergo a drug testing programme and pay a $100,000 bond as part of his bail conditions.
LaBeouf is tentatively scheduled to appear at New Orleans criminal court for a hearing on March 19th, 2026.
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