By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — Shia LaBeouf is approving the release of a new documentary that lifts the veil on his teaching methods at the “experimental theater company” he founded at the Slauson Rec Center in South Central LA.
The trailer for “Slauson Rec,” released Tuesday, documents intense and revealing interactions between LaBeouf and his students, with LaBeouf seen slamming his fist on a table while shouting profanities.
According to a news release, LaBeouf is not creatively involved in the documentary. When reached for comment, a representative for the actor directed CNN to the statement provided to Vanity Fair, which stated he “fully” supports the project’s release.
“I gave Leo (Lewis O’Neil, ‘Slauson Rec’ director) this camera and encouraged him to share his vision and his personal experience without edit,” the statement read.
“I am aware of the doc and fully support the release of the film. While my teaching methods may be unconventional for some, I am proud of the incredible accomplishments that these kids achieved. Together we turned a drama class into an acting company. I wish only good things for Leo and everyone who was part of The Slauson Rec Company.”
The doc will “examine power dynamics and control within an experimental theater collective,” according to an official synopsis, and will give audiences a deeper look at the complex relationship that developed between the members and LaBeouf.
The footage used in the documentary was captured by its director O’Neil, a first-time filmmaker and a former member of the theater company, which was in operation between 2018 and 2020.
O’Neil opened up to Vanity Fair about his experience as a member of the theater company, saying that the collective became LaBeouf’s “whole life.”
“I mean, for all of us it did,” he said, according to the magazine. “We were there every day, and that pressure really just built and built and built, until you had these moments of explosiveness.”
O’Neil also told the publication that LaBeouf participated in an interview featured in the documentary, and personally gave him the OK to move forward with the project after seeing a rough cut of the trailer.
“I don’t think he wanted to take this from me,” O’Neil told the magazine. “We both have a lot of love for each other, and he didn’t want to betray that.”
LaBeouf has previously faced allegations of physical and emotional abuse. His ex-girlfriend, singer FKA Twigs, sued LaBeouf in 2020 claiming he was physically and emotionally abusive during their relationship between 2018 and 2019, the Associated Press reported at the time.
LaBeouf denied the allegations. Around the time of the filing, he also told the New York Times in a 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.”
A trial date in the ongoing dispute is set for this September, according to publicly available court records.
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