‘I had no idea’: Shia LaBeouf’s comeback at Cannes gets overshadowed by resurfaced sexual and physical abuse allegations

Content advisory: This article contains descriptions of intimate partner violence and sexual abuse. Please take care while reading.

Shia LeBeouf appeared on the 2024 Cannes red carpet to promote Francis Ford Coppola’s divisive epic Megalopolis. LeBeouf’s appearance at the major film industry event was controversial, as the actor had been sidelined in Hollywood by sexual abuse and domestic violence allegations from his former partner, British musician FKA Twigs.

With FKA Twigs’ case against LeBeouf set to go to trial in October 2024, LeBeouf’s inclusion at Cannes led many observers to criticize Hollywood and the international film industry’s short memory in matters of sexual assault and domestic violence, while at the same time, seeming to promote a post-#MeToo ethic in movie making. Meanwhile, Megalopolis director Francis Ford Coppola is now the subject of sexual misconduct allegations during the film’s production.

Moreover, Karolyn Pho, LeBeouf’s ex-girlfriend, also accused the actor of abuse, and is named in the FKA Twigs suit. And FKA Twigs, birth name Tahliah Barnett, said LeBeouf admitted to her he shot stray dogs to prepare for acting roles, according to The Daily Beast. LeBeouf has denied Barnett’s allegations.

What did Shia LaBeouf do to FKA Twigs?

Shia LeBeouf and Tahliah Barnett reportedly met in 2019 while filming LeBeouf’s semi-autobiographical film, Honey Boy, based on LeBeouf’s relationship with his father, according to the BBC. After entering into a romantic relationship, Barnett accused LeBeouf of attempted strangulation and other forms of physical abuse. He also verbally abused her and prevented her from interacting with other men while they were together, she said, among other examples of controlling and abusive behaviors.

Barnett said she lived with PTSD because of LeBeouf. In April 2024 she told British Vogue, ” … [B]eing abused changes the whole of your nervous system. Because my window of tolerance is now much smaller than it used to be, my body manifests stress in quite extreme ways — it really shows me when it’s upset.” LeBeouf apologized for any hurt he may have caused, characterized the alleged aggression toward Barnett as “self-defense,” and asked for compensation for legal fees related to the case.

James Franco at Cannes put the film industry’s #Metoo hypocrisy on full display

Alongside Shia LeBeouf, James Franco, another disgraced Hollywood A-lister, made a rare public appearance at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Franco was there to sell his new project, The Razor’s Edge, set to begin production in June, and was spotted on the red carpet and at the Nespresso party at Cannes 2024, Vanity Fair reported. Similar to LeBeouf, Franco is the target of sexual misconduct allegations from former students stemming from his now-defunct film school. Franco admitted he slept with students, and settled the suit for $2.2 million.

The hypocrisy of Franco and LeBeouf at Cannes 2024 in light of their sexual abuse and misconduct allegations was not lost on social media. In response to an Access Hollywood X post mentioning LeBeouf at the event, Kelcie commented, “#ShiaLaBeouf BRUTALIZED FKA Twigs for YEARS. He made her fear for her life & was physically/mentally/verbally/sexually abusive. It’s SICK that@accesshollywood doesn’t give a damn about Black women that are terrorized by these monstrous, abusive men!”