While Shia LaBeouf may divide opinion due to his personality; there's no denying his outstanding ability as an actor. The 31-year-old, who rose to fame through the TV series Even Stevens at the age of 13, has had his fair share of misdemeanors down the years but, if a recent interview with Esquire is anything to go by, he seems to have turned a corner.
Not only is the interview an eye-opening insight into one of the most interesting actors this generation has seen, it also helps explain a lot of Labeouf's erratic behaviour. In the feature, the actor discusses a variety of different subjects, from his run-ins with the law to his relationship with Kanye West, and opens up on a horrific incident that has affected the way he sees the world.
LaBeouf's career took a sharp turn for the worse last July when he was arrested for the sixth time for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness in Savannah, Georgia.
Chatham Cops recorded the actor repeatedly insulting the officers, with him calling them "b**ch and w**re" while also telling one black officer that the police force "doesn't give a f**k about you."
"What went on in Georgia was mortifying," the Transformers actor admitted. "White privilege and desperation and disaster. It came from a place of self-centered delusion. It was me trying to absolve myself of guilt for getting arrested. I f***ed up."
He admits that his way out is to drink and says that since the incident happened, "no one's giving me a shot right now".
"I've got to look at my failures in the face for a while. I need to take ownership of my shit and clean up my side of the street a bit before I can go out there and work again, so I'm trying to stay creative and learn from my mistakes," he said.
"The truth is, in my desperation, I lost the plot."
While LaBeouf is now happy to admit his mistakes, he also opens up about an incident that happened in his childhood that he believes has led to his - sometimes - strange behaviour. Speaking candidly in the interview, the actor explains that he once heard her mother being sexually assaulted when he was just 10-years-old.
"I froze," he said. "The man ran out, and my mom ran after him. Dave [a biker who lived next door] came running over. I remember he had a crossbow."
Authorities never found the culprit, but Shia now sleeps with a gun under his bed and says that he hasn't fully processed the incident yet.
"When I got to rehab last year, they said I had PTSD. The first time I got arrested with a real charge, it stemmed from the same s**t.
"Some guy bumped into my mother's car with his car in a parking lot, and my head went right to 'You need to avenge your mother!' So I went after the dude with a knife [but didn't use it]... I've always thought somebody was coming in. My whole life."
It's a horrible experience for anyone to endure, let alone a boy of just 10 years. Hopefully, after his stint in rehab, LaBeouf can conquer his demons and get back on track with his career.
