Shia LaBeouf claims he was raped during #IAMSORRY art installation performance
American actor alleges a woman came into the gallery and stripped him before sexually assaulting him
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Shia LaBeouf has claimed that a woman raped him on Valentine’s Day during his week-long #IAMSORRY performance art installation earlier this year.
In a two week interview with a journalist from Dazed Digital, the American actor, 28, alleged that three days into performance – when he sat alone in an LA gallery with a paper bag over his head reading ‘I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE – a woman came in and sexually assaulted him.
“One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me.”
“There were hundreds of people in line when she walked out with dishevelled hair and smudged lipstick. It was no good, not just for me but her man as well,” LaBeouf said.
The actor allegedly did not respond during the sexual assault in the Stephen Cohen Gallery.
His girlfriend of two years, Mia Goth, was also in the queue waiting to see the actor. LaBeouf said word passed back through the crowd about the event, reaching Goth.
“When she came in she asked for an explanation, and I couldn’t speak, so we both sat with this unexplained trauma silently. It was painful.”
In the interview the actor also describes the positive experiences from his performance, claiming: “I went from being a celebrity to a fellow human. I was genuinely remorseful. It wasn’t manipulation. I was heartbroken.
“People I have never met before came in and loved on me and with me.”
LaBeouf, who recently starred in David Ayer’s Second World War epic Fury, spoke about the modern concept of masculinity, claiming: “I always had a f*****-up view on masculinity.”
He also spoke of society withholding a “puberty ceremony” for boys, creating: “A scheme which has been cunningly devised to make young men go to war. It creates an eagerness to fight; it’s an aggression that stems out of insecurity.”
The interview took place over two weeks via email after the young Disney actor contacted journalist Aimee Cliff following pieces she had written on his performance. The interaction culminated in the two sitting opposite each other in silence, with GoPros strapped to their heads, for an hour in a London hotel room.
LaBeouf’s #IAMSORRY project was the culmination of a period that saw the actor in a bizarre series of public appearances, including in Berlin when he walked the red carpet with a paper bag marked ‘I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE’, and allegations of plagiarism.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments