Shia LaBeouf has responded to Olivia Wilde’s claims that he was fired from Don’t Worry Darling. LaBeouf asserts that he quit the film voluntarily and that Wilde is just using him for publicity. "I am greatly honored by your words on my work; thank you, that felt good to read," LaBeouf wrote in an email to Wilde (via IndieWire). "I am a little confused about the narrative that I was fired, however. You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors and I couldn't find time to rehearse."
In addition, LaBeouf also used the words "attractive clickbait" in regards to Wilde mentioning his name in her recent press interviews. A source associated with Don’t Worry Darling also corroborated LaBeouf’s claims, confirming to EW that the actor wasn’t officially fired from the film. LaBeouf further said:
"Firing me never took place, Olivia. And while I fully understand the attractiveness of pushing that story because of the current social landscape, the social currency that brings. It is not the truth. So I am humbly asking, as a person with an eye toward making things right, that you correct the narrative as best you can. I hope none of this negatively effects [sic] you, and that your film is successful in all the ways you want it to be."
Olivia Wilde has been in the headlines lately after her bombshell interview with Variety in which she addressed her divorce from Jason Sudeikis, the CinemaCon custody papers incident, and her upcoming psychological thriller, Don’t Worry Darling. Wilde also talked about "firing" LaBeouf to "protect" her cast and crew.
"I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work. His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances. I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job."
Starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, Don’t Worry Darling will premiere on September 23, 2022.
Shia Labeouf Has Frequently Got Into Trouble For His Violent Behavior
Shia LaBeouf is notorious for being a method actor who often goes overboard during production. He also has a long history of volatile on-set behavior and has previously gotten into brawls with Tom Hardy on Lawless and Scott Eastwood on David Ayer’s Fury. LaBeouf got away with it for most of his career until it finally caught up to him in explosive fashion.
Soon after LaBeouf’s Don’t Worry Darling exit, he was accused of abusing his ex-girlfriend Tahlia Debrett Barnett, aka FKA Twigs. The British singer filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf in 2020, accusing him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress during their year-long relationship. LaBeouf was initially apologetic, saying he had been abusive to himself and his loved ones for years but has vehemently denied Barnett’s other shocking allegations.
"I hurt that woman," LaBeouf recently said on Jon Bernthal’s Real Ones podcast. "And in the process of doing that, I hurt many other people, and many other people before that woman. I was a pleasure-seeking, selfish, self-centered, dishonest, inconsiderate, fearful human being."
LaBeouf has blamed his behavior on PTSD, alcoholism, and his troubled upbringing and has sought help since the abuse allegations surfaced. The Transformers star is also planning an acting comeback and will next appear in Abel Ferrara’s Padre Pio.