Shia LaBeouf Details His Many Arrests

You guys, I am still recovering from the recent news that Shia LaBeouf has opened up about his arrest record in the new book Prison Ramen. And it’s not the fact that he’s opening up that is surprising. It’s that he’s being really honest about his arrest record, and it’s way more extensive than I ever thought. I guess because his arrests have been spread out, I haven’t noticed that LaBeouf has a serious history with the law. Or maybe I just haven’t been paying enough attention. Either way, I was blown away by the excerpts from LaBeouf’s essay, especially the parts where he discusses his arrests that are not on public record. So let’s just go through it, shall we? Because I’m guessing I'm not the only one who will be surprised that the actor, known for such films as Disturbia and Transformers, has had more than a few run ins with the law.

In the Prison Ramen essay that LaBeouf penned entitled, “Error Breeds Sense,” the actor details his first two arrests before he was of legal age. LaBeouf says that the first time he was arrested, he “was only nine years old.” The star says he “was arrested for stealing a pair of Nike Cortezes from a local shop and held for six hours.” The second time LaBeouf was reportedly arrested was when he was eleven. He was arrested for “stealing a Gameboy Pokémon from Kmart.” Clearly this guy has a long history of criminal behavior, but at least the title of his essay suggests that some good has come from these arrests, and I sincerely applaud his ability to open up.

LaBeouf’s arrests have continued sporadically throughout his life. For instance, in November 2007 he was arrested at a Chicago Walgreens for refusing to leave the store. Then, in July 2008, the star was arrested in Hollywood for a DUI. And although there were a few years of relative quiet, LaBeouf was arrested again in 2011 after an altercation with a patron at Mad Bull Tavern in Sherman Oaks, California. (There was also another brawl in 2011 in Vancouver, but all charges were dropped.) LaBeouf was also arrested in June 2014 for drunken behavior at the Broadway musical Cabaret and most recently on October 10, 2015 for public intoxication in Austin, Texas.

As my grandmother likes to say: Oy vey.

But listen, it isn't all bad. I’m impressed that LaBeouf can turn all of these arrests into an essay that is incredibly positive. He writes about facing your fear of failure more than anything else. But I'll be honest, seeing his record all in a row like that is pretty staggering. Perhaps writing this essay helped LaBeouf go through some sort of growth, or perhaps his willingness to open up is already a product of growth he's already experiencing. Nonetheless, it's a positive step forward.