14 DAY TRIAL // The other day, Dazed Digital ran a lengthy interview with actor Shia LaBeouf in which he talked about the existential crisis he had last year, his now-infamous #IAMSORRY art installation, his breakdown, his rebellion, his new approach to acting and his current comeback.
When speaking of the #IAMSORRY exhibit, which was basically his way of apologizing for plagiarizing the work of a known graphic novelist, Shia claimed that he was raped by one of the female visitors.
The experience was painful for him but also hurtful for his girlfriend, who was just outside when it happened, he continued. He wouldn’t say why he didn’t speak out on this before or if he’d taken some measures to have his rapist punished, but he insisted that the experience had been traumatizing.
Piers Morgan is fuming mad over the story.
This wasn’t rape, LaBeouf is offending real victims with his stupid story
In Piers Morgan’s eyes, Shia LaBeouf wasn’t raped. Men are raped too, but this wasn’t the case here because the art installation implied that he would sit on a chair, at a table, and not react in any way to whatever visitors were doing to him, except to cry.
So visitors could spit at him, swear at him, humiliate him, hug him, take selfies or simply sit across the table from him and stare at him for as long as they wanted. Whatever they did, Shia would not react, that was promised in the presentation of the exhibit.
Morgan is taking huge offense with the fact that, as per his own idea, Shia would sit on the chair while a woman had relations with him and then run with the story that he was “raped” and paint himself as victim in an interview which, he says, is nothing but a shameless PR stunt.
Rape is rape, so you can’t compare your decision to not react to a woman trying to have relations with you to it. By doing that, Shia is actually demeaning rape and offending all those women and men who have actually become victim to it.
He should apologize, Morgan says.
Rape story hits a nerve
The former CNN host also takes offense with the fact that so many people, including celebrities, rushed to offer kind words of support and encouragement to the actor, lamenting the “ordeal” he was put through.
Indeed, whereas many couldn’t stand LaBeouf before for being a pretentious, super-annoying snob, they seem to have warmed up to him considerably following this shocking story.
Wait a minute, this is a guy who could have acted during the alleged rape but chose not to, Morgan says. This is a guy whose girlfriend came into the room after he was raped and he made a conscious choice not to tell her, even though he knew that she knew what had happened!
Shia LaBeouf doesn’t need sympathy and encouragement, not when he’s spinning this in his favor. He needs a slap for a wakeup call and to be told to stop begging for sympathy by acting stupid.
Below are Piers Morgan’s tweets, explaining where he stands on Shia’s story. Does he talk sense from where you’re standing or is he victim shaming the actor? Let us know in the comments section below.
A Hollywood actor sitting with a paper bag over his head who did nothing as he claims a woman 'raped' him has not been raped. #labeouf
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 28, 2014
People are actually defending Shia LaBeouf. The world's gone mad. He's invented a supposed 'rape' for cheap PR - utterly shameful.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 28, 2014
Shia LaBeouf should apologise for his outrageous 'rape' claim & those who defend him should be ashamed of themselves.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 28, 2014
Shia LaBeouf invited people to do they want to him, then let a woman 'rape' him without doing or saying a word? Utterly ridiculous.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 29, 2014
The supposed 'rapist' is easily traceable, this was a public event. I suggest Mr LaBeouf now calls the police to report his 'rape'.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 29, 2014
LaBeouf wants us to believe his girlfriend came in after the 'rape' but he didn't say a word to her in the name of 'art'. REALLY??
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 29, 2014
