Shia LaBeouf returns to Mardi Gras celebrations hours after jail release
-AFP
Shia LaBeouf was back on the streets of New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras just hours after being released from jail Tuesday morning.
The 39-year-old actor had been arrested in the predawn hours and charged with two counts of simple battery following a physical altercation outside a bar. After posting bond, LaBeouf was spotted rejoining the festivities.
In footage obtained by the Daily Mail, the actor ripped off a wristband and told a paparazzo to “leave me alone, bro,” before jogging away. The outlet reported that he then walked roughly two miles to return to the Mardi Gras parade route, changing into a new shirt and sunglasses reportedly purchased from a nearby shop.
Shia LaBeouf immediately returns to partying at Mardi Gras after release from jail https://t.co/jDGsK8tger pic.twitter.com/yg9sKhiZQl
Video previously published by TMZ showed LaBeouf shirtless and on the ground outside a New Orleans bar as several men restrained him. At one point, a man appeared to punch him in the face while warning him to stay down. Additional footage showed paramedics treating the actor following the incident.
Authorities later confirmed that LaBeouf was arrested and charged in connection with the altercation. The circumstances that led to the fight remain unclear.
LaBeouf has previously spoken publicly about his struggles with addiction. In a 2022 interview with Word on Fire Catholic Ministries’ Bishop Robert Barron, he said he had been sober for more than a year and a half at the time.
Sources have also indicated that the actor quietly split from wife Mia Goth nearly a year ago. The former couple married in 2016 and share a daughter.
Despite the legal trouble, LaBeouf appeared determined to continue celebrating Mardi Gras alongside the crowds.