Shia LaBeouf had to “rent” his dad
By Alexandra Heilbron on September 30, 2010 | 27 Comments
Shia LaBeouf has revealed that the only way he was able to get his estranged father Jeffrey back into his life was to pay him. In an interview with British paper The Sun, Shia says he lost contact with his father when he was a child. “My father was never around because he was selling drugs… and my mother was never around, because she was selling brochures in the park to keep us alive,” he said. “They never had time for each other, and they fell out. It ruined my life for a long time. I am not the first one to go through it, but I blamed myself for it.” LaBeouf added that his father only took an interest in him after he became a child star in the Disney Channel TV series Even Stevens. He explains: “I rented my dad back into my life. This business gave me my father. Money gave me my father,” he said. “If I had no money and no way to supplement my father’s income so he could survive, I would have no father.”
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is it LaBeouf Week in entertainment news? is it really a step up from Lohan Week?
down on his dad, down on De Niro… I “anxiously” await the next installment of Shia’s Annals….
wow, he’s really not looking so great this week!
I think if you have to pay your dad to be your dad, then you really don’t have a dad at all.
It’s such personal matter, why would you even say that to the media… Obviously he does not respect his dad or else he wouldn’t say that… He seems so bitter, where as some people will use that as it has given them more strength and a different perspective in life (that sort of thing). He says it like my father is a loser… If he doesn’t respect or care why would he even pay is dad… his stories are soo conflicting….
What is it that he’s trying to prove?
ohhh…. he’s making me angry….
one good transformer trilogy does not translate to a hot shot…
I honestly can name sooo many brilliant actors better than him… better than listen to this big ego guy….
It doesn’t sound to me like he wants sympathy. He’s just stating a fact. He’s a victim of incredibly crappy parents (despite the fact that she’s a f*ck up, he’s crazy about his mom), so why is everyone attacking him for admitting it?
i agree jesse, shouldnt people be wondering what kind of parent is only willing to be in their childs life when that child is rich and paying them to be? its a disgusting way to be, and a terrible way to raise a child. he has every right to be bitter or angry about his father, he has every right to think his drug dealing father is a loser… when you choose to only be in your childs life because they are paying you, you ARE a loser.
We can’t help who our parents are and I’ve seen a lot worse scenarios of what length a child will go to keep their family (ie. child abuse), so if Shia wants to dish out some money to keep a relationship open, that’s his business. I give him credit for sugar coating it.
oops, I meant “for NOT sugar coating it”
how sad!!
To have to pay one’s father to have a relationship with him.
Honestly, if that’s what it takes to make his dad be a part of his life, he is better off without him. Better to find a father figure elsewhere who wants to have a relationship with him, without being paid.
Sometimes facing your pain helps you move on from your pain….let him be.
I think he’s starting to look handsome. He was going through a geeky looking phase for awhile. And it sounds like Oliver Stone was kind of like a father figure to him so maybe he’ll come through that messed up childhood alright.
Sorry Shia but your dad is not a dad. You are his meal ticket. What happens when you aren’t the hot ticket anymore does dad do a runner? Shame.
If your reading this: Mr. LaBeouf, I deeply appreciate your honesty about you not liking one of the installments of The Transformers! I Admired how you played your role in the 1st movie, you were quite good in it. I know its not good 2 pay your father, But please look for the Good in most things: he may change when he gets to know you better and stop asking for $$. If I may suggest; try to get him a job he can handle. A part time one so he can work up to a full time one. I Hope everything turns out for you!
My gosh, that sounds pathetic and sad. Why would anyone want to rent a deadbeat father anyways? If you’re going to rent someone, rent sylvester stallone as your step-dad… than get him to beat up your deadbeat dad.
As I only met my dad once before he passed away, I can totally understand how Shia would have not only done what he did, but also why some things are in essence leaking out. It is incredibly hard to go through life feeling like you are not good enough for your parents to be a real part of your life. Until you have walked a mile in those shoes feel free not to judge as you have no idea. And yes there are other people that may go through way worse events in looking back, but this is a traumatic experience as a young kid/teen/adult to have to deal with so please cut him a break. At least he made an effort to get his family bakc together rather than writing them off like many people would. I can’t imagine any of it was easy. Good for you Shia!
All this from one interview. The interviewer was probably leading him into talking about these things.
I was so sad after hearing what he went through that I wet my panties. Please don’t laugh at me!!
At least he is not being fooled. He sees it for what it is and good for him.
I agree with much of what has been commented on,especially Paul’s. It must be terrible being a young teen/adult, and not having a “true” Father figure in your life. I feel for him. As far as Shia is concerned, it sounds like he’s just doing what he has to do to work on a relationship with his Father–good Luck to him, sounds like he might need it!
123 you’re a moron, leave the guy alone. unless you have been in his shoes, or can even grasp what it must be like, don’t even make such comments. he has obviously had a hard life and deserved his big break and if he needs to pay his dad to be his dad then so be it. I am sure he feels he is getting something for it. maybe your life is easier or perfect so you can’t understand what it’s like.
Tribute this is not new news. He spoke about this several years ago and it was in the media then. I thought maybe it was going to be more information, but it’s the same story with less information.
You know something, when we all watch the news(Global, Citytv, CTV, CBC, whichever)we all get friggin sympathetic when we hear about single moms(today)raising kids on their own, or how people had a life similar to Shia’s(but without fame & money); so when this stuff hits the airwaves, families start asking for money & it doesn’t seem like we start bashing the news or the families in the news for being in their position. If Shia was one of those cases in the news without being an actor, we’d all feel sorry. As a human being who was brought into this world by his mom and dad, he’s still their child. He’s simply being honest & open instead of being like others who mask their feelings & emotions WITH MONEY. I think people are looking at themselves right now and think he has no right to say what he’s saying, but then ask yourself this, if he shouldn’t be saying anything then who are you to say he can’t tell others what he went through? From what he said, I felt as if no child should go through what he did. But my mom raised two children on her own for 24 years(without re-marrying)because way back in the 1980’s here in Toronto you needed to pay a doctor(or be wealthy)to keep someone alive in the hospital. Well, my family wasn’t well off and we had to pull the plug on my dad on F***ing Christmas in 1987. How’s that for a woman and two babies aged 2 & 3? But in todays news, we hear things like this all the time and people go running to them and pouring money as if it’s the end of their world. If my mom had the courage and strength to make this long, so can they. So seriously people, if Shia speaks his heart and mind in the way he feels it’s necessary to get a point across to people about who is, where he’s from and what’s most important to him in life, then let him. He’s a guy who just wants his father back in his life, and believe me, if I had money I would go back in time to bring mine back to life.
Sorry not 1987, I meant to say 1986.
Its true, no matter what, the man is speaking his mind. Honesty does seem to be a rare commodity in Hollywood sometimes, so I admire him for this.
What a decent human being Shia is. I wouldn’t be so forgiving.