LaBeouf Faces Battery Charges, Anti-Gay Slurs Alleged

New Orleans prosecutors have filed formal misdemeanor battery charges against actor Shia LaBeouf. This action follows his arrest four months prior for allegedly assaulting three men at a bar. The district attorney's office declined to pursue hate-crime charges, even with video evidence suggesting LaBeouf directed anti-gay slurs at the alleged victims.

The incident occurred early on February 17, during the city's Mardi Gras celebrations, at the R Bar. Police reports detail LaBeouf's aggressive behavior towards the men he is accused of battering with homophobic insults. He was briefly detained following his arrest and later released on a $105,000 bond, with a court order to enter substance abuse treatment.

One alleged victim, Nathan Thomas Reed, identifies as queer, and another, Jeffrey Damnit, dresses in drag. Damnit reportedly captured video of LaBeouf using a homophobic slur outside the bar and had hoped for enhanced charges under a state law protecting against bias-motivated crimes.

LaBeouf's legal troubles are not new. He has previously faced charges for disrupting a Broadway show in 2014 and for disorderly conduct in 2017, which involved accusations of using homophobic and racist slurs towards officers. Both prior incidents also led to court-mandated treatment.