Shia LaBeouf Says He Was Raped During a Performance Art Project

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Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf poses for photographers at a film premiere in London, Oct. 19, 2014.Joel Ryan—Invision/AP
By Megan Gibson

Back in February, Shia LaBeouf staged his #IAmSorry performance art exhibit in a Los Angeles gallery where people were able to enter a room alone with the actor and do and say whatever they wished as he sat silently wearing a paper bag over his head that read: “I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE.”

The project resulted in a traumatic experience for the actor which he has revealed in an email interview with Dazed Digital. When asked if anything “unsettling” had taken place during the performance, LaBeouf answered:

One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me… There were hundreds of people in line when she walked out with dishevelled hair and smudged lipstick. It was no good, not just for me but her man as well. On top of that my girl was in line to see me, because it was Valentine’s Day and I was living in the gallery for the duration of the event – we were separated for five days, no communication. So it really hurt her as well, as I guess the news of it travelled through the line. When she came in she asked for an explanation, and I couldn’t speak, so we both sat with this unexplained trauma silently. It was painful.

It’s unclear if LaBeouf has reported the assault to authorities.

[Dazed]

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