EXCLUSIVE: Fresh Tinseltown Beef! Why 'Bitter' Shia LaBeouf is at War With Movie 'Golden Boy' Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet is hated by Shia LaBeouf, insiders say.
June 17 2025, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
Roll up for Hollywood's latest beef – and in the red corner is one of Hollywood's biggest hotheads, while in the blue is its new "IT boy”.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Shia LaBeouf has accused Timothée Chalamet of getting an "easy pass" from Hollywood, claiming the 28-year-old star’s ambitious SAG Awards speech would not be celebrated if it came from someone like him.
But insiders say this is only the "tip of the iceberg" for LaBeouf — with one source saying: "He's raging his career didn't go the same way as Timothée's.
Star's Jealousy
LaBeouf wishes his career had gone as smoothly as Chalamet's.
"On him, it's cute. On me, it wasn't cute. You know what I'm saying?" LaBeouf, 38, said about the younger star's SAG speech.
The tension between the two actors has erupted following Chalamet’s headline-making acceptance speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards earlier this year.
Collecting the prize for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for A Complete Unknown, in which he portrays Bob Dylan, Chalamet openly declared his ambitions, saying: "The truth is, I'm really in the pursuit of greatness. I know people don't usually talk like that. But I want to be one of the greats."
His remarks divided opinion, with some praising the candor, while others labeling it arrogant.
In a recent interview, LaBeouf pointed to Chalamet’s moment as evidence of a double standard in Hollywood.
He said: "I hear Timothée Chalamet get up and he says something like, 'I want to be great.' I so know the feeling. But when I said it, people rolled their eyes.
"I've been trying to be great my whole life, and the reaction hasn't exactly been applause."
Flawless Brand
Unlike LaBeouf, Chalamet has kept his nose clean when it comes to his private life.
LaBeouf, who first rose to fame on Disney Channel’s Even Stevens, has long been known for his intense performances in films like Disturbia, Transformers, and Honey Boy.
But despite his range and critical acclaim, he said his reputation has often overshadowed his work.
"I'm really like a pure actor," he said. "When I was young, I didn't think that I required much help to do what I do. I was completely narcissistic and fearful and had a lack of trust."
Asked if he still views himself as narcissistic, LaBeouf responded: "To get into this field, there's a certain level of ego – a certain ego sickness that gets you into acting. And now I'm trying to figure out what the healthy version of that looks like."
His most recent project, Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, failed to impress critics and performed poorly at the box office, grossing just $14.3million on a reported $120million budget.
He will next appear in Henry Johnson, based on the David Mamet play, and the British crime drama Salvable.
However, LaBeouf's career continues to be clouded by serious allegations.
In 2020, musician FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress.
Another ex-girlfriend, stylist Karolyn Pho, also alleged physical abuse.
Troubled Past
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The actor is dogged by a series of scandals.
Pho said he once head-butted her so hard she bled.
LaBeouf denied many of the claims but admitted in a statement he owed the women "the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done."
He added he was in therapy and part of a 12-step program, saying: "I am not cured of my PTSD and alcoholism, but I am committed to doing what I need to do to recover."
In a video filmed in 2015, LaBeouf was heard telling then-girlfriend Mia Goth: "This is the kind of thing that makes a person abusive," before being recorded saying: "If I'd have stayed there, I would've killed her."
The civil trial brought by Barnett is scheduled to begin in September.
Our source said: "Shia is fuming his life and career haven't turned out as great as Timothée's.
"But the hard truth for him is, no matter how talented he is and no matter how great his performances are, he will never be able to shake his image as a bad-boy and troublemaker, and casting directors just don't want him around.
"Timothée is going to go from strength to strength if he keeps going the way he is, and Shia is going to keep floundering – and it kills Shia, who thinks he's the better actor."
