The jail doors in New Orleans slammed open, and the man who was once a hugely successful movie star walked out. He wasn’t protected by a bodyguard, and there wasn’t an agent waiting to drive him away.
Shia LaBeouf was very much on his own.
Still wearing the clothes from the previous night, when he’d been arrested after a drunken fight that required medical attention, the 39-year-old actor walked off into the hazy afternoon along Perdido Street – a road aptly named, as ‘perdido’ is Spanish for ‘lost.’ It was a particularly poignant path for him to take, given the circumstances.
He started running, quickly covering the two miles to the town center where the Mardi Gras festivities were in full swing. He soon joined the crowd, a beer in his hand, and became part of the Fat Tuesday celebration.
Shia LaBeouf, once praised by Steven Spielberg as a potential successor to Tom Hanks, has a history of unusual behavior. Now, a source close to the actor has revealed to the Daily Mail that he’s been privately struggling, potentially explaining his recent erratic actions.
According to a source, actor Shia LaBeouf’s wife, Mia Goth—who is also the mother of their three-year-old daughter, Isabel—left him five months ago after a difficult marriage.
Shia LaBeouf has often credited Maya Goth with being a major source of support in his life. He once stated she ‘saved’ him while he was in rehab battling personal struggles. However, their relationship now appears to be over.
According to a source, Mia and Shia have been separated for a while. Mia ended the relationship because Shia’s unpredictable behavior and constant arguments became too much for her to handle, and a reconciliation doesn’t seem likely.
Mia Goth, age 32, first met Shia LaBeouf while working on the provocative 2013 film Nymphomaniac, which marked her film debut. The couple had a Las Vegas wedding in 2016, but later divorced in 2018. They got back together in 2020, and their daughter, Isabel, was born in March 2022.
Kate Beckinsale, known for her role in the upcoming film The Odyssey with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Holland, shared with Elle magazine last October that becoming a mother has given her a new outlook on life.
She explained that she’s no longer willing to tolerate nonsense, and she believes that’s been really beneficial for her.
Someone close to the situation hinted that she was losing patience with Shia LaBeouf, explaining, ‘Shia can be difficult. He’s a very strong personality, has firm opinions, and definitely does things his own way.’
People – whether friends, coworkers, or romantic partners – often find him difficult to be around for extended periods. However, that very quality is also what draws them to him. He’s a uniquely fascinating and intelligent person.
‘He is somebody people gravitate to, so it is a bit of a Catch-22.’
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for LaBeouf and Goth for comment.
Shia LaBeouf, originally from Los Angeles and with Cajun heritage through his father, reportedly moved to New Orleans last year, where he has family.
I’ve been following Shia LaBeouf for a long time, ever since he was a kid on Even Stevens. It’s always been heartbreaking to watch his struggles, and it’s become clear they really started way back then. He’s actually spoken about how a lot of his difficulties stem from childhood trauma and PTSD, which explains so much.
Okay, so you HAVE to understand, learning about Shia’s background just… it breaks your heart, but it also explains so much. His dad, Jeff LaBeouf, was a Vietnam vet, which is already tough, but then he battled addiction – alcohol, drugs… and before Shia was even born, he was in prison. Apparently, he committed a terrible crime, attempted rape, but he claimed he was completely blacked out, on coke, and honestly, had no recollection of it. It’s just… a lot. It feels like everything Shia does is somehow connected to this, you know?
Shia LaBeouf’s mother, Shayna, was a jewelry designer. She and Jeff, Shia’s father, separated when he was three years old.
When Shia LaBeouf was nine years old, he lived with his mother in Tujunga, California, a neighborhood known for its biker culture. He overheard an assault happening next door, an event that has deeply affected him throughout his life.
There have been several arrests involving public intoxication, fighting, and even racist outbursts. One incident involved Shia LaBeouf disrupting a Broadway performance and yelling at Alec Baldwin. LaBeouf, who was living in Central Park at the time, had previously been fired from the play after repeatedly bothering Baldwin during rehearsals.
Shia LaBeouf has spent time in rehab, and in 2020, his ex-girlfriend, the singer FKA twigs, filed a lawsuit claiming he had physically and emotionally abused her over several months. He disputed the claims, and the case was eventually settled out of court.
The actor has sometimes been critical of his own flaws and emotional outbursts. While promoting the 2018 film about tennis star John McEnroe, he told Empire magazine that McEnroe skillfully used anger, but he himself just comes across as foolish. He described his own public displays of temper as unproductive and embarrassing, admitting he simply loses control in public.
He was very close to his mother, who passed away in August 2022. Shortly after, his father mentioned that he moved to Costa Rica following his son’s well-known 2013 incident with Baldwin.
Speaking in 2019, the elder LaBeouf said: ‘Every parent worries when their children are doing bad.
My grandfather used to illegally distill liquor, and I’ve encountered some wild characters both during my time in Vietnam and back home on the streets of Los Angeles. I’ve experienced life both as an outlaw and as a law-abiding citizen.
‘When I saw Shia getting in trouble, I recognized it, and I hoped and prayed it would end.
He was facing problems both with the public and with me, and he confided in me first. The incident with Alec Baldwin – they were supposed to perform in a play together – was particularly concerning. While he didn’t physically harm Alec, he really frightened him.
He surprisingly revealed that a week earlier, this person terrified him. He’d pleaded with them to leave and not harm him. After he moved away, this person kept getting into trouble, and he’d find out about it through social media or online posts.
Finally, I admitted I couldn’t help. It was beyond my skills and abilities. I simply prayed—believing in a higher power—that somehow, things would work out for him.
People who are familiar with Shia LaBeouf’s unpredictable behavior worry that New Orleans during Mardi Gras is not a helpful environment for him to address his personal issues.
According to one resident who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor has been causing disturbances in the city since Thursday. A bouncer at Ms Mae’s bar said he appeared to be acting aggressively.
The Daily Mail reported that he spent the evening moving between lively bars, drinking beer, and posing for photos with fans. Later, pictures showed him without a shirt, lying on the floor after reportedly headbutting someone and being held down by a bystander.
Looking back at that vibrant 21-year-old I saw on the cover of Vanity Fair back in 2007, it’s hard to believe how much things have changed. Now, almost two decades later, the photos being taken of him aren’t for magazine covers – they’re police mugshots. It’s a really stark contrast, and honestly, a heartbreaking one.
He was incredibly driven at the time, constantly telling people he wouldn’t waste his chances. He aimed to reach the level of actors he admired – Philip Seymour Hoffman, Gary Oldman, and Joaquin Phoenix. What he may not have known was that those three were as famous for their battles with addiction as they were for their incredible talent.
Shia LaBeouf prefers to host parties at home rather than go to clubs, as he shared in a recent interview with the magazine.
‘And to say that I’ve never had a drink or smoked weed – coming from my family – is insane.
I also understand the consequences of losing control, and I remember how much effort it took to build the life I have now. Because of that, the fleeting pleasure of getting high just isn’t worth it.
Despite his best efforts, Shia LaBeouf ended up prioritizing fleeting pleasures. This led him down a path of reckless behavior, ultimately resulting in a public fight and a night in jail.
As we saw this week, he immediately returned to the bars of New Orleans after being released.
Read More
- MLBB x KOF Encore 2026: List of bingo patterns
- Overwatch Domina counters
- eFootball 2026 Jürgen Klopp Manager Guide: Best formations, instructions, and tactics
- 1xBet declared bankrupt in Dutch court
- Brawl Stars Brawlentines Community Event: Brawler Dates, Community goals, Voting, Rewards, and more
- Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0 Phase One Character Banners: Who should you pull
- eFootball 2026 Starter Set Gabriel Batistuta pack review
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Lana Del Rey and swamp-guide husband Jeremy Dufrene are mobbed by fans as they leave their New York hotel after Fashion Week appearance
- Clash of Clans March 2026 update is bringing a new Hero, Village Helper, major changes to Gold Pass, and more
2026-02-19 03:20