We should watch out since things might become nasty here. This week, Variety released an in-depth interview with actor/director Olivia Wilde, the focus of which was on Wilde’s upcoming psychological thriller, Don’t Worry Darling. In the course of the conversation, Wilde was candid and direct about why she had to fire Shia LaBeouf from the film in which he had starred. Harry Styles, a famous pop singer, stepped into the lead role.
But now LaBeouf has come forward to say that he was never actually sacked from the film. Wilde said in a statement to Variety that while she “admires his work,” LaBeouf’s “method was not conducive to the ethos that I require in my projects.” The violent methods LaBeouf uses to prepare for his roles have been the subject of several headlines and interviews with the actor. Wilde is alluding to them.
The former Transformers actor wasn’t pleased with the claims after reading the story and decided to contact the publication to express his displeasure. LaBeouf claimed in an e-mail to Wilde that he had texted her, “you and I both know the reasons for my leave.” LaBeouf writes that he is on a “path that feels redeeming & righteous” in an e-mail to Wilde (which he also shared with Variety). The actor made news in 2020 when his ex-girlfriend, pop artist FKA Twigs, accused him of constant “abuse,” and he later said he was trying to find help. LaBeouf writes that he has a “moral compass that never existed before” after 627 days of sobriety.”
Even though LaBeouf mentions Twigs in the email, he says there will be a “time and place” for him to tell his side of the tale. As he says, “next April, both parties will go to trial,” alluding to the next legal proceeding. Twigs claimed in her complaint against the actor that he engaged in persistent gaslighting, a charge the actor strenuously rejected. In contrast, LaBeouf’s word choice in an interview with the New York Times seemed to corroborate Twigs’ account. What he actually stated was: “To tell someone how my actions affected them would be completely inappropriate. My drinking and aggressiveness are not understandable nor excusable, but I do have explanations for them. My years of self- and interpersonal abuse are well documented. As a rule, I am unable to avoid harming those who are closest to me. I apologise to everybody I have wronged for my past actions. I don’t know what more to say.
Wilde’s interview with Variety and the actor’s own recollections of his prior conduct make it appear plausible that LaBeouf’s approach to acting differed from that of the rest of the ensemble, particularly Florence Pugh, who spent the most time with him on set. Wilde has, for the time being, refrained from providing any additional commentary on the issue. More information on the film’s early production stages is needed, but that won’t come until later.
The first showing of Don’t Worry, Darling will take place on September 23.