It seems that a week can't go by without Shia LaBeouf somehow making a total douche out of himself. Whether it's some sort of Joaquin Phoenix-esque performance art piece or a very public mental breakdown, the press has been lapping up every morsel of his strange behaviour, but it's not exactly like the guy's erratic actions have just been confined to the last two months. LaBeouf became something of a notorious "bad boy" not long after accepting the Transformers role, with arrests and altercations with the authorities becoming pretty regular tabloid stories. He's also burned a number of professional bridges along the way, and simply, if this is all part of some strange publicity stunt, it's working, though at the same time appears to be alienating a lot of his cinematic brethren. It's a shame because, despite his derision, LaBeouf has proven himself to be a reliably solid actor who could be propelled to greatness if he found a meaty role and took a step back from all this silliness. Sadly, he's going the other way, following up his recent Shia Labeouf-athon by occupying a lift in Oxford as some sort of art installation. He's clearly attempting some sort of transition where every banal thing he does is counted as art.
12. Arrested For Fighting With His Neighbour (February 2005)
LaBeouf's legal troubles began in February 2005, when LA police charged him with assault with a deadly weapon after Shia rammed his car into the back of his neighbour's vehicle, who was reportedly blocking access to his garage. Heated words were exchanged, followed by LaBeouf allegedly turning up at his neighbour's front door brandishing a kitchen knife. A scuffle ensued, at which point the neighbour managed to wrestle the knife away and pin Shai down until the cops showed up, who then arrested the actor for his behaviour. Though information on any further outcome is scarce, a witness reported that, "Shia was a raving maniac". Bearing in mind this took place before LaBeouf's star began to shine in the Transformers movies, it's pretty surprising he managed to survive it.