Following accusations of abuse and assault by a number of women, Shia LaBeouf is taking a formal hiatus from acting. Additionally, he’s parted ways with his talent agency CAA.
Long known for his public battles with personal demons, LaBeouf’s problems came to a head in December when ex-girlfriends FKA twigs and stylist Karolyn Pho filed a lawsuit accusing the actor of a range of emotional and physical abuses. FKA twigs claims LaBeouf once threw her against a car and screamed in her face, would grab and choke her to the point of bruising, and required her to sleep naked. She also alleges he knowingly gave her an STD.
Pho laid out similar claims, including an incident where LaBeouf pinned her to a bed and headbutted her hard enough to draw blood.
As the lawsuit works its way through the legal system, LaBeouf has entered an inpatient rehab facility to be treated for addiction and psychological issues. According to Variety, he’s been receiving treatment for over five weeks. So that he can “solely focus on his recovery and get the help he has admitted he needs,” he’s chosen to step away from acting for the time being. To that end, he’s parted ways with CAA.
However, he has not explicitly been fired from the Hollywood talent agency. Instead, it appears to be pro tem disassociation while LaBeouf is in rehab. Variety reports that the actor and the agency have not been working together for about a month.
LaBeouf said many of the allegations were false and stated he is “not cured of my PTSD and alcoholism.” He did take a level of accountability, however, in a statement to The New York Times:
“I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.”
Notably, CAA’s course of action is markedly different from the response to recent claims against Marilyn Manson and Armie Hammer. Both those individuals were dropped by CAA and WME, respectively, after multiple women levied numerous allegations of abuse against them both.