Shia LaBeouf Arrested in New Orleans After Mardi Gras Altercation
Actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested in New Orleans shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, and charged with two counts of simple battery following an altercation outside a French Quarter business. The New Orleans Police Department says officers were called at 12: 45 a. m. ET after staff reported a disturbance. Witnesses and bar employees described a weekend of heavy partying that culminated in the early-morning confrontation.
Police say confrontation began outside Royal Street bar
New Orleans police were dispatched at 12: 45 a. m. ET on Tuesday after a member of staff reported being punched. Officers were told LaBeouf had been removed from the business for aggressive behavior and then struck a victim several times with closed fists after being forced outside. The person who was first struck then required further intervention when the actor allegedly returned and again attacked the same man, followed by a separate incident in which another individual was punched in the nose.
Multiple people held LaBeouf until police arrived. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries described by authorities as unknown in nature, then booked and charged with two counts of simple battery. Details about whether any victims were hospitalized were not released by police.
Bar staff and patrons describe days of heavy drinking
Employees at several Uptown and French Quarter bars described encounters with LaBeouf across the long Mardi Gras weekend. Bar staff said the actor had been moving between venues since Thursday and was at times loud, inebriated and belligerent. One doorman recalled an early Sunday incident when LaBeouf entered a 24/7 dive without a shirt or cash, ran into a door block and was described as “somewhat belligerent. ”
Accounts from bartenders include moments of compliance and confrontation: staff said he posed for group photos and at other times pushed to act as a celebrity bartender, prompting employees to ask him to leave. One bartender who served him earlier in the weekend said, “He was so nice on Thursday, ” while another, speaking about later encounters, said flatly, “He is terrorizing the city!”
Other sightings were logged at a cigar bar and live-jazz venue, a bar along the parade route where an automatic gratuity was later added after a card was dipped and not signed, and a longtime Magazine Street dive. Conversations with people who encountered him suggested he was staying in a luxury short-term rental in Uptown, where major parades roll during Mardi Gras.
Past struggles and reaction
The actor’s run-ins in New Orleans come after a long, public history of erratic behavior and legal entanglements, including prior arrests linked to public intoxication and disorderly conduct and a high-profile civil suit that was settled in mid-2025. He has previously described periods of treatment for alcoholism and sought rehabilitation after past incidents.
Law enforcement has laid criminal charges in the current case and the matter will proceed through the court system. His representatives have not responded to requests for comment. City officials and bar owners say the episode has stirred renewed debate about public safety and nightlife policing during large-scale celebrations like Mardi Gras.
LaBeouf is best known for a mix of studio blockbusters and independent films, and his arrest in New Orleans marks the latest in a string of public incidents that have followed him through his career. The criminal case will determine whether prosecutors pursue further action beyond the battery charges now on record.
