Shia LaBeouf & The Controversy Surrounding His ‘Nymphomaniac’ Role

Shia LaBeouf has spoken openly about his past actions, the controversy surrounding his personal life, and how he landed a highly provocative role in Lars von Trier’s film Nymphomaniac.

The actor, known for Even Stevens and Honey Boy, faced legal trouble in 2020 after his former partner, FKA Twigs, accused him of s*** battery and physical and verbal abuse. The two met while working on Honey Boy and dated for about a year.

Twigs claimed LaBeouf had violent outbursts, strangled her, knowingly exposed her to an STD, and even shot stray dogs to prepare for his role in The Tax Collector.

LaBeouf addressed his behavior during a 2022 appearance on Jon Bernthal’s podcast Real Ones, saying, “I hurt that woman. 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-centred, dishonest, inconsiderate, fearful human being. When I think about what my life has become, and what it is now, like what my purpose is now… I need to be useful. And when I look at this #MeToo environment, there’s not a whole lot of dudes that are taking accountability.”

He added, “I f**** up bad. Like crash and burn type s***. [I] hurt a lot of people, and I’m fully aware of that. And I’m going to owe for the rest of my life.” LaBeouf also admitted to infidelity and not disclosing cold sores to his se*** partners, describing these actions as “manipulative.”

Amid these revelations, LaBeouf shared details about how he landed his role as Jerome in the 2013 two-part erotic drama Nymphomaniac. The film, directed by Lars von Trier, centers on the character Joe, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, and her se*** history.

LaBeouf revealed that he sent von Trier a real-life s** tape of himself and his then-girlfriend Karolyn Pho as an audition. “I sent him [von Trier] videotapes of me and my girlfriend having s**, and that’s how I got the job,” he told Chelsea Handler in an interview with The Guardian.

Regarding the film’s erotic content, LaBeouf added, “Everything that is illegal, we’ll shoot in blurred images. Other than that, everything is happening.” While the tape secured him the role, questions remain about how much Pho consented to being part of the audition, given the controversial nature of the act and LaBeouf’s history of manipulation.

LaBeouf’s reflections highlight a complicated mix of career ambition, boundary-pushing acting choices, and serious personal misconduct. His admissions shed light on how closely his personal and professional decisions have been intertwined.

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