Shia LaBeouf & Controversy Behind His ‘Nymphomaniac’ Role

Shia LaBeouf once spoke about the controversial way he landed his role in Lars von Trier’s 2013 film, Nymphomaniac.

The actor revealed that his audition involved sending the director a real s** tape of himself and his then-girlfriend, Karolyn Pho. LaBeouf told Chelsea Handler of The Guardian, “I sent him [von Trier] videotapes of me and my girlfriend having s**, and that’s how I got the job.”

Nymphomaniac is a two-part erotic drama starring Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe, a woman exploring her complex and se*** past. LaBeouf played Jerome, a man in Joe’s early se*** relationship. At the time, LaBeouf expressed enthusiasm for the explicit nature of the film, saying, “Everything that is illegal, we’ll shoot in blurred images. Other than that, everything is happening.”

LaBeouf’s comments come after years of public scrutiny regarding his personal behavior. In 2020, he faced court proceedings following accusations of se*** battery and abuse from his former partner, FKA Twigs.

The pair met while working on the 2019 film Honey Boy and dated for about a year. Twigs accused LaBeouf of violent behavior, strangulation, and knowingly infecting her with an STD.

Reflecting on his past actions in a 2022 interview on Jon Bernthal’s podcast, Real Ones, LaBeouf said, “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.” 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 admitted to cheating on every woman he’s been with and failing to disclose cold sores to se*** partners, describing his actions as “manipulative.” These revelations, combined with his audition for Nymphomaniac, highlight a troubling pattern in both his personal and professional life.

While LaBeouf has expressed a desire to make amends, the story behind his role in Nymphomaniac remains controversial and continues to draw attention.

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