Shia LaBeouf sent to rehab, avoids jail after New Orleans arrest

Shia LaBeouf has been sent to rehab, avoiding jail after his arrest in New Orleans earlier this month.

The Transformers actor was denied his request to travel to Rome in March for his father's baptism, however.

LaBeouf, 39, was told he did not seem to be taking "his alcohol addiction seriously", with Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Simone Levine expressing doubt he was able to "handle his alcohol", according to a report by the Associated Press.

The actor was arrested on two counts of battery in New Orleans during the city's Mardi Gras festivities, with police alleging he had caused a "disturbance" and was increasingly "aggressive" before becoming involved in a fight that saw him hit at least two people and shout out homophobic slurs.

However, the judge told LaBeouf he didn't appear to be taking his situation seriously.

"This court does not believe he understands the level of seriousness when it comes to these allegations," Levine said.

She added the actor's alleged behaviour was a threat to "the safety of this larger community, especially relative to a marginalised (LBGTQ+) community that has gone through so much terror".

While LaBeouf agreed to undergo an immediate drug and alcohol screening and pay a $100,000 (£74,000) bond, his lawyer argued drunkenness should not warrant punishment.

"Frankly," LaBeouf's attorney Sarah Chervinsky told the judge, "being drunk on Mardi Gras is not a crime."

LaBeouf was tight-lipped on the day, AP reported.

"No, I won't say a word," he told reporters after submitting to the ordered substance test. "God bless you, leave me alone."