Shia LaBeouf Credits His 2017 Arrest With Changing His Life And Helping Him Get Sober
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A Rough Past
Actor Shia LaBeouf struggled to transition out of child stardom. He struggled with addiction and alcoholism, culminating in an arrest for public drunkenness in 2017. LaBeouf was drunk and asked a black police officer if he had a cigarette, and when he was denied, he began making racist remarks and got violent with the man.
Turning Over A New Leaf
After his arrest, LaBeouf went to rehab, and while he was at the Connecticut facility, he was diagnosed with PTSD and wrote the screenplay for the new film Honey Boy about his life.
Honey Boy is being hailed as a film to watch this awards season and shows a new era of LaBeouf's career. LaBeouf won The Hollywood Film Award for breakthrough screenwriting over the weekend and was given his award by actor Robert Downey Jr., who knows a thing or two about changing your life after a seemingly crippling addiction.
A Powerful Acceptance Speech
Downey Jr. called Honey Boy "a damn new perfect screenplay" in his presentation to LaBeouf, who used his moment to thank the office who arrested him and how that moment was a turning point in his life.
"I want to thank the police officer who arrested me in Georgia for changing my life. I want to thank my therapist and my sponsor for saving my life. I want to thank my Honey Boy team for documenting and exhibiting my life. I want to thank my team for being a part of my life, and my parents for giving me life. And you, Robert, for living a life a guy like me could look up to."
Catharsis In Writing
LaBeouf has been open about how writing Honey Boy was a cathartic experience for him. He set out to write his autobiography, and "the stuff that’s in Honey Boy" came from his exposure therapy sessions.
LaBeouf seems to be in a great place and we can't wait to see what he does next. Honey Boy hits select theaters on November 8th.
