Shia LaBeouf has been making headlines again as of late due to another run-in with the law. The 39-year-old actor was arrested in New Orleans on February 17 following a mult-day bar crawl for Mardi Gras. LaBeouf was subsequently charged with two counts of simple battery and has since been released from police custody. The Transformers alum’s actions still remain a topic of conversation and, now, a source is claiming that another actor wants to step in to provide LaBeouf with some assistance – Mel Gibson.
If a new report is to be believed, those with close ties to LaBeouf – who’s been arrested three times between now and 2014 – to intervene after the situation in New Orleans. An insider for inTouch Weekly alleges that 70-year-old Mel Gibson is such a person who could help out LaBeouf right now. Allegedly, there’s also a specific reason as to why the Braveheart alum would be the right person to try to reach LaBeouf:
Shia is as stubborn as they come, but if there’s one person he does listen to and respect unconditionally, it’s Mel. He hero-worships the guy and says he’s the father figure he never had.
Ahead of his latest arrest, which was reportedly a result of a scuffle that took place in New Orleans' French Quarter, the actor had apparently been spotted making stops at a number of watering holes in the city. Among those stops were Brothers III Lounge, Ms. Mae’s, 45 Tchoup and Dos Jefes and, at that time, the Peanut Butter Falcon star (who’s been open about sobriety struggles) was also reportedly shirtless at the time. Accounts about LaBeouf’s behavior during that crawl have varied, with one doorman describing him as appearing “somewhat belligerent,” while the proprietor of a different bar said he appeared “totally chill.”
In the aftermath of his arrest and brief hospitalization for injuries sustained in the fight, LaBeouf released a brief statement, posting “free me” on X. Gibson now reportedly wants to have a serious talk with LaBeouf, and the insider shared further claims about why the Australian actor believes he can get through to his younger peer:
He wants to take Shia aside and shake some sense into him, and that’s exactly what he intends to do when he gets the chance. Mel’s confident he can relate to Shia, persuade him to go back to church and plough his energy into more positive things instead of humiliating himself in a drunken haze.
Mel Gibson has seen several controversies of his own over the course of his career. In the early ‘90s, he drew backlash after making comments during an interview that were dubbed homophobic. Another situation came in 2006 when Gibson was arrested for DUI and, after he was stopped by authorities, the actor reportedly went on an antisemitic rant. In more recent years, Gibson has seemingly integrated himself back into the entertainment industry and is currently working on his long-gestating Passion of the Christ sequel.
Whether the would-be James Bond actor could actually get the chance to speak with Shia LaBeouf, though, remains to be seen. The inTouch’s insider also discussed the challenges of making that happen:
Getting that face time before Shia does irreparable damage is the big challenge right now. He’s on a real self-destructive tear and nobody — not even Mel — can currently get through to him.
As of last weekend, LaBeouf was still in New Orleans and was spotted spending time with a mystery woman amid reports that he and partner Mia Goth separated in 2025. Whether LaBeouf will speak out on his arrest any further remains to be seen.
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