Shia LaBeouf has come forward to dispute Olivia Wilde’s claim that he was fired from her upcoming movie Don’t Worry Darling.
The 36-year-old Transformers actor was scheduled to appear in Wilde's psychological thriller that follows a 1950s couple who move into an experimental utopian community in California.
The controversial actor was initially meant to play Jack - the romantic partner of Florence Pugh’s character Alice - but was eventually replaced by pop star Harry Styles.
Earlier this week, the 38-year-old director spoke about LaBeouf’s departure from the project in a cover story with Variety, saying that it was safety concerns that led to his firing. However, LaBeouf has reached out to a number of outlets, including The A.V. Club, to deny this claim.
The Even Stevens actor sent screenshots of his email and text exchanges with Wilde to the publication, saying that he left on his own accord as he "couldn’t find time to rehearse" with the actors.
"You and I both know the reasons for my exit," he reportedly wrote to the Booksmart director in an email, forwarded to publication. "I quit your film because your actors and I couldn’t find time to rehearse."
He also mentioned his relationship with singer FKA Twigs - who has accused the actor of "sexual battery" in a lawsuit - and also spoke of his daughter Isabel who he shares with partner Mia Goth.
As well as this, the outlet reported that the actor sent a video of Wilde seemingly trying to persuade him to stay on to the project, soon after he allegedly told her of his planned exit in August 2020.
In the video, Wilde is driving a car and says she is "not ready to give up on this yet" and alluded to possible tension between LaBeouf and Pugh, saying: 'I wanna know if you're open to giving this a shot, with me. With us. If [Florence] really commits."
She then concluded by adding: "And if you guys can make peace, and I respect your point of view, and I respect hers if you guys can do it - what do you think? Is there hope? Will you let me know?"
Watch the video below:This report is just the latest in a series of tumultuous events that have surrounded the film since its production began during the pandemic.
One of the events was when Wilde was presented with custody papers from her ex-partner, Jason Sudeikis during a presentation for the film at CinemaCon in April.
The actress spoke about the moment recently saying that incident was a "vicious attack" and that the "nastiness" of the "sabotage" diverted people from her second directorial effort, which will be released in theaters next month.
However, the 46-year-old Ted Lasso star's representative insisted that he had no prior knowledge that she was going to be served at the convention, saying that Sudeikis "felt a great distress at the manner in which service was made", per Deadline.