Shia LaBeouf is no stranger to trouble with the law, having been arrested numerous times over the past 30 years.
The “Halls” star was most recently arrested on February 17, 2026, after getting into a brawl at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Page Six confirmed.
The Disney Channel alum was charged with two counts of simple battery and booked into a Louisiana prison.
TMZ obtained footage of the shirtless actor being treated by paramedics after the alleged altercation, but it was not immediately clear what led to the altercation.
The actor, who has been open about his journey to sobriety for years, reportedly traveled to New Orleans for Mardi Gras celebrations the week before his arrest, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In the wake of LaBeouf’s recent run-ins with the law, we take a look back at the actor’s past arrests and legal troubles.
1996
Believe it or not, LaBeouf was only 9 years old when he first went to prison. Before becoming a Disney Channel star, he was detained for six hours after stealing Nike Cortez sneakers from a store in Pacoima, California. He told the world about the incident in a short essay titled “Error Makes Sense,” which was published in the 2015 book Prison Ramen.
1998
His second arrest came just two years later in Sunland Tujunga, California, also on theft charges. “I was arrested for stealing a Game Boy Pokemon from Kmart and was at the substation for about 6 hours,” he wrote.
Two years after the Pokemon theft, LaBeouf shot to fame on the Disney Channel show “Even Stevens.”
2007
His next arrest was nearly 10 years later in Van Nuys, California. He “had an affair” with a neighbor and spent two days in jail for that crime. “While I was there, at least I understood that going to prison is not an action. That’s terrible,” he wrote.
Later that year, in November 2007, LaBeouf was arrested in the middle of the night at a Walgreens in Chicago. When he allegedly refused to leave the store, police came and later spent the night in jail.
In 2008, he told his side of the story on “Late Night with David Letterman.” The 21-year-old was celebrating his birthday in Chicago when he went to Walgreens to buy cigarettes. On his way there, he noticed a pimple on his forehead and went straight to the cosmetics store, where a security guard started laughing at him.
After buying acne cream and returning to the hotel, he realizes that he forgot to buy cigarettes and needs to go back to the store. Worried that the security guard had already noticed him, Mr. LaBeouf changed his clothes. “My logic was flawed, to say the least. Once again, I’m on the ‘sauce.'” Returning to the store for the second time, LaBeouf said a security guard commented on his new outfit, to which he responded, “Yeah, you’re dressed nice too,” adding, “So now we’re both pretty smart.”
He also forgot his cigarettes and bought a package of gummy bears.
On his third visit, they had another brief but heated exchange before another security guard “tackled” him and placed him in plastic handcuffs. “He was absolutely right. I was stupid,” LaBeouf explained.
2008
In the summer of 2008, the then 22-year-old “Transformers” star was arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles. According to People magazine, LaBeouf was involved in a car accident while making a left turn, causing his car to overturn. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident, but LaBeouf was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of drunk driving.
2011
For several years, LaBeouf’s troubled days seemed to be behind him, until he was taken into custody for a bar fight in 2011. According to The Hollywood Reporter, LaBeouf was at Mad Bull’s Tavern in Sherman Oaks, California, when he got into an argument with another customer at 1 a.m., and the man punched LaBeouf in the face. The Los Angeles Police Department arrived, handcuffed the pair, and broke things up. No one filed charges and both men were released at the scene.
2014
In perhaps LaBeouf’s most famous arrest in 2014, he had a drunken meltdown while watching the Broadway musical “Cabaret.” During the show, which starred Alan Cumming and Michelle Williams, LaBeouf was seen smoking and shouting obscenities inside the theater. He also allegedly slapped Cumming on her butt when he walked by her during a performance. Officers arrested him during a break and took him to a nearby police station. According to the criminal complaint, he yelled at the officer, saying, “This is all bullshit! Do you know my life? Do you know who I am?” Officials said the man spat at one of the officers and was even muzzled with a mask.
After the incident, the then 28-year-old actor completed rehab as part of a plea deal. The judge said if there were no issues for six months, the case would be “dismissed and sealed.”
LaBeouf addressed the meltdown on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” In December, he explained that he had just returned from a trip to Ireland, where he drank a lot of whisky. He continued his whiskey tour upon his return to New York, having a few drinks at a bar before seeing a show.
“I’m going to take a little bit of a break from Broadway,” LaBeouf joked.
Cumming also gave his opinion on the show, speaking to Conan O’Brien. “He was just wasted, and from the moment he walked in there he was wasted. When I got on stage to start the show, there was an atmosphere. Everyone was freaking out because there was somebody who looked like a crazy person screaming and stuff…I walked past him and he was smoking a cigarette while hitting me.”
However, the actor forgave LaBeouf for the incident, saying, “We’ve all gone beyond our limits and done messed up things…I thought he recovered well.”
2015
Check out “Dirty Six.” In 2015, LaBeouf was attending Austin City Limits when he was arrested for public intoxication outside a bar on 6th Street, Texas. Witnesses told TMZ at the time that he was “very drunk or high on drugs” and ran across the pedestrian bridge in front of officers. He was subdued, handcuffed and taken to the Travis County Jail. He was later released.
2017
In January, LaBeouf was arrested again after an incident at an anti-Trump art installation in Queens. Video from the “He Will Not Divide Us” protests, which began on Inauguration Day, shows the actor being arrested after an incident earlier in the day. LaBeouf allegedly grabbed the man’s scarf and “inflicted abrasions on the man’s face” before pushing him to the ground.
The “Transformers” star was released the next morning, but was undeterred by his arrest and threw away a “lock on” sign as he got into a taxi. He was charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment, but the charges were later dropped. Law enforcement officials said there was not enough evidence to support a criminal case.
In July 2017, Shia LaBeouf was arrested in Georgia on charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and obstruction after a stranger reportedly refused to hand him a cigarette. The 31-year-old actor reportedly fled to a nearby hotel and was taken into police custody.
“He became disorderly, using profanity and vulgar language in the presence of women and children who were present. When asked to leave, he refused and became aggressive towards officers,” police said in a statement.
He was released on $7,000 bail.
He later apologized for the ordeal and detailed his long battle with addiction, writing, “I am taking active steps to ensure sobriety and hope that my mistakes will be forgiven.”
He even thanked the police officer who arrested him for “saving my life” during his acceptance speech for the movie “Honey Boy.”
2020
In June 2020, LaBeouf allegedly stole a man’s hat during an argument.
Although he was not arrested at the time, he was later charged with two misdemeanors, petty theft and assault, Page Six confirmed.
A few months later, the “Honey Boy” actor’s ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs, filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of sexual assault, assault, and infliction of emotional distress.
“There are no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I’m going to do what I have to do to recover. I’m forever sorry to those I may have hurt in the process,” LaBeouf told The New York Times after FKA Twigs filed a bombshell lawsuit against him.
The former couple dated from 2018 to 2019 and ultimately reached a private settlement in 2025.
If you or a loved one is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
