shia labeouf arrested in New Orleans amid Mardi Gras bar brawl
Actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested early Tuesday after an altercation at a Faubourg Marigny bar during the height of Mardi Gras celebrations. Police say the 39-year-old was charged with two counts of simple battery after allegedly striking two men; he was held briefly, taken to a hospital, then released on his own recognizance later that day. A court appearance is tentatively scheduled for March 19 (ET).
What authorities say happened at the Royal Street bar
Officials say officers were called at approximately 12: 45 a. m. ET on Tuesday to a disturbance at a business on Royal Street in Faubourg Marigny, adjacent to the French Quarter. Staff attempted to remove LaBeouf from the premises when he allegedly grew more aggressive. Court documents allege that, while being escorted out, the actor tried to strike a bar manager and then punched a male patron who had intervened. After briefly leaving, he reportedly returned and struck another man in the nose.
Witnesses held LaBeouf down until police arrived. He was examined at a hospital for minor injuries and subsequently taken into custody. After processing, he was ordered released on his own recognizance later Tuesday as the city continued its carnival celebrations. Within hours of his release he was seen back on the city's main party strip, dancing while holding his release papers in his mouth, on-scene accounts. In the aftermath thousands of Mardi Gras revelers gathered in and around the bar; staff members have said he is not welcome to return.
Allegations of a multi-day bar crawl and unruly conduct
Accounts from local bar staff and patrons say the incident was the culminating episode of several days of unruly behavior across the city. People who encountered LaBeouf in a range of establishments described inconsistent behavior: at times accommodating and social, at other times belligerent. One doorman said LaBeouf arrived in an inebriated state and at one point asked patrons if they knew who he was. Staff at multiple venues described being asked to eject him after attempts to get behind bars or serve drinks.
Video circulating from early Tuesday morning shows LaBeouf shirtless and exchanging words with another person before paramedics tended to him. Some witnesses described earlier nights when he was more low-key and amicable, while others signaled growing concern about his conduct during the city’s carnival week. Several employees who interacted with him over the long weekend said his presence had become a distraction and a management headache.
Legal history and sobriety struggles
LaBeouf has previously spoken publicly about struggles with sobriety and has participated in court-mandated rehabilitation following a 2017 arrest. He has credited fellow actors with personal support in earlier interviews. In 2020, a former partner filed a civil suit alleging sexual battery, assault and emotional distress; the actor denied the allegations and the parties later reached a settlement in July 2025. Representatives for LaBeouf did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the New Orleans incident.
The upcoming court date on March 19 (ET) will be the next public step in the battery case. For now, the incident has prompted renewed scrutiny of the actor’s off-screen behavior amid one of the city’s busiest weekends of the year.
