Shia LaBeouf is physically violent towards students in new doc about his experimental acting school

A new film claims to show actor Shia LaBeouf displaying physical violence and intimidation toward students of his acting school.

The documentary is called Slauson Rec, named after the Slauson Recreation Center in Los Angeles where LaBeouf held his school from 2018 until 2020. Director Leo Lewis O’Neil told Vanity Fair that the film was made from 800 hours of footage, claiming the Transformers star gave him a camera when he joined the class told him to film everything that happened.

The Vanity Fair piece said: “O’Neil captured multiple instances of LaBeouf initiating physical altercations, several of which made the final cut of his movie””. The piece’s opening paragraph contains a description of one instance:

“(LaBeouf) walks away, then circles back again — and this time, he shoves Zeke toward a wall, tightly wrapping his arms around Zeke before threateningly whispering in his ear. At last, onlookers restrain LaBeouf, who gets in his truck, hits the gas, and drives off. ‘All that was fucked up,’ Zeke reflects later over FaceTime. ‘People let him get away with it.’ He reveals scratches and bruises all over his body. ‘What kind of mentor does that?’”

In September 2018, Shia LaBeouf announced that he was developing a free theater school at the Slauson Recreation Center in Los Angeles. He soon became Slauson’s charismatic, intense, at times volatile leader—all of which was captured on camera by director Leo Lewis O’Neil.

“I… pic.twitter.com/e3Y0SoBD7D

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) April 1, 2025

O’Neil tells the outlet that moments of violence on the part of LaBeouf have made it into the final cut of the film, and that he sent the footage to the actor for his approval.

He claims in the interview that LaBeouf gave his blessing, saying: “He’s basically just being like, ‘You do what you need to do,’” O’Neil said. “It shows a lot that he is willing to have this be out in the world and not try to stop it. He had every reason and possibility to stop it. … He’s one of the most vulnerable artists I’ve ever seen”.

Shia LaBeouf gave the following statement to Vanity Fair: “I gave Leo this camera and encouraged him to share his vision and his personal experience without edit. I am aware of the doc and fully support the release of the film. While my teaching methods may be unconventional for some, I am proud of the incredible accomplishments that these kids achieved. Together we turned a drama class into an acting company. I wish only good things for Leo and everyone who was part of The Slauson Rec Company”.

LaBeouf last appeared in 2024 drama Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Upcoming projects include boxing drama Salvable, due for release this year.

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