The Shia LaBeouf Saga: Tweets with a Side of Plagiarism
Shia LaBeouf puts the "Twit" in Twitter.
The very same night of the film’s release, Shia LaBeouf began Tweeting out apologies to his fans and Daniel Clowes…
Shia LaBeouf @thecampaignbook 12:42AM December 17, 2013
“Copying isn’t particularly creative work. Being inspired by someone else’s idea to produce something new and different IS creative work.
In my excitement and naivete as an amateur filmmaker, I got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation
Im embarrassed that I failed to credit @danielclowes for his original graphic novella Justin M. Damiano, which served as my inspiration
I was truly moved by his piece of work & I knew that it would make a poignant & relevant short. I apologize to all who assumed I wrote it.
I deeply regret the manner in which these events have unfolded and want @danielclowes to know that I have a great respect for his work”
This was LaBeouf’s first mistake. He should have done what many other famous people do when they screw up: hire a phenomenal PR agent and follow their advice to the letter.
LaBeouf instead went to Twitter and started Tweeting like a crazed person.
He tweeted crazy, pathetic apologies for days straight; even on Christmas Eve and Day.
The most mind boggling part about his apologies…they were plagiarized too.
When Twitter wasn’t providing the results he wanted, he hired planes to sky write an apology to Daniel Clowes. Wouldn’t a fruit basket and a handwritten note have worked better…not to mention cost thousands less?!?!?
New Year’s Day
photo: Shia LaBeouf/Twitter/HuffingtonPost
‘Girls’ writer/ actress Lena Dunham called Shia out on Twitter just a few days later:
Lena Dunham @lenadunham 8:34AM January 4, 2014
“I have always felt, utterly and unchangeably, that only sociopaths hire skywriters.”
This obviously did not sit well with LaBeouf, so he tweeted an apology…one he picked word for word off Dunham’s Twitter account.
He then went even crazier and copied parts of an apology from a rapper’s Twitter feed. Seriously, LaBeouf no one believes you are addicted to “lean” like rapper Gucci Mane. Yea, LaBeouf claimed he was addicted to a mix of Codeine, Sprite, and Jolly Ranchers…. SERIOUSLY?!?!
All the sudden it was as though he was addicted to plagiarizing anyone possible. He copied Kayne West’s apology to Taylor Swift.
Shia LaBeouf wasn’t done. He hired a second sky writing fleet and allegedly paid over $25,000 to write “Stop Creating” in the sky. The same day he went back to Twitter and claimed he would retire from public life.
January 10, 2014
photo: Shia LaBeouf/Twitter/GossipCop
This stunt happened two days after Shia LaBeouf received a cease and desist letter from Clowes’ people asking him to stop any further plagiarism. LaBeouf instead, posted scans of the letter from Clowes via his Twitter feed.
January 8, 2014
photo: Shia LaBeouf/Twitter
Even though LaBeouf Tweeted he was done with public life, he could not help himself and has kept on Tweeting. He has been busy Tweeting at Jim Carrey and of course followed up with another Twitter apology. His latest Tweet:
Shia LaBeouf @thecampaignbook 8:08AM January 13, 2014
“I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE”
I am not sure if this is a stunt, if Shia LaBeouf is playing a game on us all, or if he really has gone off the deep end. Either way, he is definitely in a downward spiral with an unknown outcome.
