‘I had a gun on the table’: Shia LaBeouf says he experienced suicidal thoughts after abuse allegation

‘American Honey’ star is currently being sued for alleged ‘relentless abuse’ of ex-girlfriend FKA twigs

Actor Shia LaBeouf has opened up about experiencing suicidal thoughts, saying he became “nuclear” after abuse allegations were made against him.

In December 2020, LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriend, the musician FKA twigs, sued him for “relentless abuse” including sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress.

LaBeouf later denied causing twigs “any injury or loss”, saying that she was not “entitled to any relief or damages whatsoever”.

The trial date for twigs’s case against LaBeouf has been set for 17 April 2023.

Filmmaker Olivia Wilde said in a recent interview that she fired LaBeouf from her forthcoming film Don’t Worry Darling to make sure co-star Florence Pugh felt “safe”.

“I say this as someone who is such an admirer of [LaBeouf’s] work,” she said. “His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions.”

In a new interview with Word on Fire Catholic Ministries’ Bishop Robert Barron, LaBeouf described his experience with suicidal thoughts, and revealed that he has converted to Catholocism.

“At this point I’m nuclear,” he said, recalling the period in which he was let go from Wilde’s film. “Nobody wants to talk to me, including my mother. My manager’s not calling. The agent’s not calling. I’m not connected to the business any more.”

“I had a gun on the table. I was outta here,” he continued. “I didn’t want to be alive anymore when all this happened. Shame like I had never experienced before – the kind of shame that you forget how to breathe. You don’t know where to go. You can’t go outside and get a taco.”

He credited his newfound Catholicism with saving his life.

Actor Shia LaBeouf (Getty Images)

Alluding to “the woman who accused me of all this”, LaBeouf said: “I wanted to go on Twitter and write all these things… I wanted to justify all this and explain. Now I see that… the woman saved my life. She was, for me, a saint in my life. She saved my life.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here.