Shia LaBeouf Says He Made Up Abusive Childhood For Biopic
Shia LaBeouf is currently trying to make amends for his past behavior, but he might have made things worse by admitting that he made up his childhood abuse.
Shia LaBeouf made waves as a child actor when he entered the Disney Channel space to star in Even Stevens. The California native was an instant hit on the network, garnering critical acclaim and accolades for a television show geared toward a younger audience. He starred in the series beginning at the age of 13 before moving into more broad projects on the big screen. His leading breakthrough role in 2003’s Holes put LaBeouf on the map, which propelled the actor to blockbuster films in the Transformers franchise. He transitioned into directing and writing later in his career and played a version of his own father in Honey Boy, which he wrote. Now, it appears that LaBeouf has some explaining to do about that portrayal and the script he wrote for his own biographical film.
According to a report by CinemaBlend, Shia LaBeouf has admitted to lying about the abuse his father inflicted upon him during his years as a child actor, which he chronicled in Honey Boy. The film was released in 2019 and primarily dealt with LaBeouf’s childhood and the relationship he had with his father. The movie changed the names of all characters involved, but it was supposed to demonstrate LaBeouf’s early work as a child actor and his father’s abusive insistence on making him a star. Honey Boy is an independent flick distributed by Amazon Studios, which went on to gross over $3 million at the box office.
The revelation that Shia LaBeouf made up large pieces about his father’s behavior and abuse is telling of an actor that currently finds himself embroiled in personal and professional troubles. In an interview with actor Jon Bernthal on his podcast Real Ones with Jon Bernthal, LaBeouf fessed up to his lie and explained, “I wrote this narrative, which was just fucking nonsense. My dad was so loving to me my whole life. Fractured, sure. Crooked, sure. Wonky, for sure. But never was not loving, never was not there. He was always there.” In Honey Boy, LaBeouf portrayed the fictional version of his dad opposite a character named Otis (Noah Jupe), a child actor similar to LaBeouf in real-life. Academy Award-nominated actor Lucas Hedges took on the role of the older Otis, while Natasha Lyonne and singer FKA Twigs rounded out the cast.
FKA Twigs and Shia LaBeouf began a relationship on the set of Honey Boy, even though he created a fictional biopic for himself. According to Today, FKA Twigs accused the actor of sexual battery, assault, and abuse while they were in a relationship, which LaBeouf has since denied. Since then, he has tried to pick up the pieces of his broken career, having landed a high-profile role in Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde. The part was eventually played by singer Harry Styles, and Variety reports that conflicting stories are still ongoing about whether LaBeouf was fired from the project or if he quit. With stories coming out this week about Shia LaBeouf lying about his abusive father to earn critical acclaim in a movie, and moves that were made that saw another actor take his role in an upcoming film, time will tell how much of LaBeouf’s problems play out for the world to see.
