shia labeouf arrested in New Orleans during Mardi Gras on battery charges
Actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested early Tuesday and charged with two counts of simple battery after police say he became aggressive at bars in New Orleans’ Faubourg Marigny during Mardi Gras revelry. Officers were called at approximately 1: 45am ET to a disturbance at Royal Street Inn and Bar that culminated in alleged assaults on two men and LaBeouf being restrained by bystanders.
Incident and arrest
New Orleans police say they were summoned at about 1: 45am ET on Tuesday to a business in Faubourg Marigny, adjacent to the city’s French Quarter, after staff reported a disruptive patron. Court documents state the bar manager attempted to escort LaBeouf from the premises and that the actor allegedly tried to strike the manager during that interaction.
After being removed, LaBeouf allegedly punched one male patron who had assisted the manager, then returned and struck a second man in the nose. Bystanders held LaBeouf down until officers arrived. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation, discharged and then arrested. He faces two counts of simple battery and was ordered released on his own recognizance later Tuesday as Mardi Gras celebrations reached their peak.
The battery case is tentatively scheduled for a next hearing on March 19. Within hours of his release, LaBeouf was seen on Bourbon Street dancing while holding his release papers in his mouth.
Witness accounts, video and venue response
Thousands of people, many in costume for Carnival, gathered in and around the bar in the hours after the incident. Employees at the venue, including a bartender and a bouncer, said LaBeouf would not be welcome back following his release from custody. A doorman at another nearby bar described the actor as arriving in a somewhat belligerent state and said LaBeouf tried to get behind the bar to serve drinks to customers.
A video that circulated from early Tuesday morning purportedly shows LaBeouf shirtless and exchanging words with another person, then being attended to by paramedics. Statements from witnesses include an account that the actor used a variation of the phrase "Do you know who I am?" during the commotion. Emergency responders treated LaBeouf for unspecified injuries before he was taken into custody.
Background and legal history
LaBeouf has previously spoken about struggles with sobriety and has credited other actors with helping him through recovery. He attended court-ordered rehabilitation following a 2017 arrest in Savannah, Georgia, an experience that informed his semi-autobiographical film Honey Boy.
In 2020, an English singer filed a lawsuit alleging sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress in relation to a relationship with LaBeouf. The accuser alleged a pattern of physical and emotional abuse; LaBeouf denied the claims. That legal matter was resolved with a settlement reached in July 2025.
LaBeouf’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the New Orleans incident.
