Kid Cudi stepped up to help Shia LaBeouf after the actor’s arrest during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans this February.
LaBeouf revealed during a Channel 5 interview that both Cudi and Thundercat sent representatives to arrange his bail after he was booked on battery charges.
The Transformers star said he received assistance from multiple people, but wasn’t sure who actually paid for his release from Orleans Parish Prison.
LaBeouf was arrested on February 17 after allegedly punching several patrons outside a French Quarter bar and using homophobic slurs. Police charged him with two counts of simple battery after witnesses reported the altercation during the Fat Tuesday festivities.
The actor spent time in a crowded drunk tank with approximately 50 other people before his unexpected release.
“I know Thundercat tried to get it going and Cudi did the same thing,” LaBeouf explained during the interview.
He described how assistants showed up at the jail trying to secure his freedom, but he didn’t recognize their names when guards asked about them.
The bailiff eventually told the representatives to leave and LaBeouf said he “just left on his own” without knowing who covered the costs.
LaBeouf and Cudi have worked together professionally before, when the actor directed a music video for Cudi’s track “Marijuana.”
Cudi’s willingness to help may stem from his own recovery journey and understanding of addiction struggles.
The Cleveland rapper has been open about his battles with cocaine and alcohol abuse that led him to rehab in 2016.
Cudi spent months in treatment after what he called his “rock bottom moment” and has since become an advocate for mental health awareness and sobriety support.
The Man on the Moon artist previously maintained six years of sobriety before relapsing in 2015.
His experience with addiction recovery and the program may have motivated his desire to help LaBeouf during a difficult time.
Cudi has spoken about the importance of support systems during recovery and the value of helping others struggling with similar issues.
The actor was later arrested again on February 28 on an additional battery charge and had his bond set at $100,000 with mandatory substance abuse treatment.
LaBeouf acknowledged his behavior was wrong during the Channel 5 interview and took full responsibility for the incidents. He described feeling “contrition” and said he would “deal with” the consequences of his actions.
LaBeouf revealed he had been sober for nine months before relapsing with kava consumption that eventually led back to alcohol use.
The actor has struggled with sobriety throughout his career and has been in and out of AA programs since age 18. His pattern of legal troubles often coincides with periods of drinking and substance use.
LaBeouf is scheduled to appear in Orleans Parish Criminal Court on March 15 for his arraignment on all charges.
