shia labeouf Arrested in New Orleans on Battery Charges During Mardi Gras
Actor shia labeouf was arrested early Tuesday after an alleged altercation at a bar in New Orleans’ Faubourg Marigny neighborhood during the city’s Mardi Gras climax. Police say the 39-year-old was charged with two counts of simple battery after two men were struck during an incident that unfolded shortly after midnight.
What happened in Faubourg Marigny
The New Orleans Police Department was called at approximately 12: 45am ET on Tuesday to a disturbance at a Royal Street business located next to the French Quarter. Officers were told that staff had attempted to escort shia labeouf from the premises after he became increasingly aggressive. Court documents state that, while being removed, the actor allegedly tried to strike a bar manager and then punched a patron who had intervened. He is also accused of returning and hitting a second man in the nose.
Bystanders restrained the actor until police arrived. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment for unspecified injuries, then discharged and placed under arrest. He was subsequently released on his own recognizance later Tuesday as the city’s weeks-long carnival reached its busiest hours. A short time after his release, he was seen on Bourbon Street with his release papers.
Allegations, charges and next steps
LaBeouf faces two counts of simple battery stemming from the alleged punches. The next court appearance in the matter is tentatively scheduled for March 19 (ET). Local staff at the bar where the incident occurred have said they do not want him to return following his release.
Details remain limited on what precisely provoked the encounter. Witnesses in multiple establishments across the city described a string of interactions over several days in the lead-up to Fat Tuesday. Accounts from staff at several bars portray a mix of cordial encounters earlier in the weekend and escalating behavior later on, including reports that he was shirtless at times and attempted to work behind a bar without permission.
Past struggles and public context
LaBeouf has previously been open about struggles with sobriety and has taken part in court-mandated rehabilitation following an earlier arrest in 2017. He has discussed how those experiences informed his work, including a semi-autobiographical film he wrote and starred in. In a separate high-profile legal matter from 2020, a former partner sued him for sexual battery and other claims; that dispute was settled in July 2025, with LaBeouf denying the allegations.
Authorities have handled the latest incident as a criminal matter, and the coming weeks will determine whether prosecutors pursue the battery charges through the court system. For now, the case remains active and LaBeouf is scheduled to appear in court on March 19 (ET) for the next procedural step.
The incident has drawn renewed attention because it coincided with one of the busiest nights of the city’s carnival season. Law enforcement and local businesses routinely prepare for large crowds and heightened tensions during Mardi Gras, and the arrest highlights how quickly encounters in a party environment can escalate into criminal allegations.
