How Netflix Is Distancing Itself From Shia LaBeouf Ahead of Awards Season
Netflix has removed Shia LaBeouf's name from its awards website following FKA Twigs' lawsuit against him.
E! News has learned that Shia's name was scrubbed from the streaming service's For Your Consideration page of awards-publicity material for the upcoming film Pieces of a Woman. The actor's name was previously included on the site but has since been removed after the singer-songwriter, born Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit earlier this month against her ex-boyfriend for alleged sexual battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
However, prior to the public allegations, Shia was not planning on participating in publicity for the film. E! News is told this will not significantly alter Netflix's awards strategy, and the decision to remove his name was not a direct reaction to the lawsuit.
Shia co-stars opposite Vanessa Kirby in the upcoming drama film from director Kornél Mundruczó, which is set for limited theatrical release on Dec. 30 before it debuts on Netflix on Jan. 7. In the film, Shia plays the partner to Vanessa's character as the couple deals with the devastating aftermath of a tragic home birth.
E! News reached out to Netflix, and the company declined to comment.
After FKA twigs and another Shia ex, Karolyn Pho, took part in a Dec. 11 interview with The New York Times to describe the alleged abuse they both suffered during their respective relationships with the actor, Shia responded by emailing a statement to the publication. He also sent a separate email in which he stated that "many of these allegations are not true."
"I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations," he wrote in his statement. "I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I'm ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say."
Some members of Hollywood have already voiced their support for FKA twigs, including director Alma Har'el, who helmed Shia's 2019 film Honey Boy.
"I have a deep respect for FKA Twigs' courage and resilience," Alma said in a statement on Dec. 17. "Reading what she endured left me heartbroken, and I stand with her in solidarity."