Jeffrey Damnit wants hate crime charges against Shia LaBeouf for alleged assault
LaBeouf allegedly punched two men and repeatedly used homophobic slur during Mardi Gras
LaBeouf was arrested and released on bond, then seen partying on Bourbon Street
This is not LaBeouf's first incident involving alleged homophobic behavior
📖 Full Retelling
Jeffrey Damnit, one of the men allegedly assaulted by actor Shia LaBeouf during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans on Tuesday, is calling for hate crime charges to be filed against the Transformers star, claiming LaBeouf punched him and another man while repeatedly using a homophobic slur. Damnit, who dresses in drag and was wearing makeup at the time of the encounter, stated that LaBeouf's behavior was 'a complete slap in the face to any alternative-culture person.' He expressed hope that prosecutors would pursue charges under Louisiana's hate crimes law, which allows for enhanced penalties against anyone who victimizes another person based on 'actual or perceived' sex or gender. Damnit warned that if LaBeouf faces no serious consequences due to his fame, it could send a message that such behavior is acceptable. LaBeouf was arrested after reportedly becoming aggressive at R Bar in New Orleans' Marigny section, attempting to punch a bar manager who was escorting him out, then striking Damnit and Nathan Thomas Reed, 34, while repeatedly using the word 'faggot.' Bystanders held LaBeouf down until police arrived, and he was booked with two counts of simple battery after being treated at a hospital and released. Following his release, LaBeouf was seen partying on Bourbon Street with Mardi Gras beads around his neck and dancing with his jail release papers in his mouth. When approached by a Guardian reporter at his New Orleans home address on Thursday to respond to the allegations, LaBeouf reportedly said, 'Get your ass up out of here, you silly bitch,' and later screamed, 'Yeah – I'm Shia LaBeouf,' as the journalist left. This appears to be LaBeouf's first public comment regarding the incident. The incident is not LaBeouf's first legal trouble. In 2017, he was arrested for disorderly conduct in Savannah, Georgia, leading to a court-mandated rehab stint, during which he accused police of racism. In 2014, while being arrested for disrupting a Broadway show in New York City, he was accused of using the homophobic slur 'fag' to insult a police officer.
🏷️ Themes
Celebrity misconduct, Hate crime legislation, LGBTQ+ violence
Consolidated city-parish in Louisiana, United States
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 census, New Orleans is the most populous city in Louisiana, the second-most populous ...
Mardi Gras (UK: , US: ; also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being the last day of consuming rich, fatty food...
Shia Saide LaBeouf ( SHY-ə lə-BUF; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and 2002 and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2003. He made his film debut in ...
Man allegedly assaulted by Shia LaBeouf in New Orleans wants to see hate crime charges Jeffrey Damnit says actor punched him and second man on Tuesday, calling both ‘faggot’ repeatedly One of the men whom Shia LaBeouf allegedly battered and insulted with a homophobic slur on Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans on Tuesday, leading to his arrest, would like to see the actor face hate crime charges. Jeffrey Damnit, who dresses in drag and was in makeup at the time of the encounter with LaBeouf , said on Thursday that the behavior attributed to the Transformers film franchise star was “a complete slap in the face to any alternative-culture person”. He said that he hoped prosecutors in Louisiana’s most famous city would pursue charges under a state hate crimes law, which allows for enhanced penalties against anyone who is found to have victimized another person on the “actual or perceived” basis of sex or gender, among other categories. “Due to his fame, if he gets away without serious consequence, anyone who looks up to him or even just knows of him will think it is OK to do the same,” Damnit said, two days after LaBeouf was ordered released from authorities’ custody without needing to post bond. “They will think you can call someone ‘faggot’, punch him a few times, get a free room for the night and be back out partying by noon the next day.” LaBeouf was approached for comment on Thursday about the allegations against him. The actor remarked: “Get your ass up out of here, you silly bitch.” Those brief comments appeared to be his first in response to his arrest at the R Bar in New Orleans’s Marigny section in connection to sworn police allegations that he punched Damnit and a second man while repeatedly insulting both with the word “faggot”. The Guardian, which viewed a video showing LaBeouf using the word “faggot” at the time of his arrest, had made multiple attempts to contact the actor and his representatives to respond to the allegations against him. They did not reply...
