Twitter Reacts To Shia LaBeouf Laughing Impatience At Zack Gottsagen During Oscars Presentation

Some controversy erupted on Twitter during this year’s Academy Awards, coming from an unlikely source. Shia LaBeouf attended the Oscars with Zack Gottsagen, an actor with Down syndrome. LaBeouf and Gottsagen starred together in The Peanut Butter Falcon, a film about the unlikely bond between a man with Down syndrome and a criminal on the run. The two actors presented an award at the ceremony.

However, some people were unhappy with how the 33-year-old LaBeouf acted towards Gottsagen, while many jumped to the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull actor’s defense. LaBeouf appeared to laugh at Gottsagen while he struggled to read the winner of the award. Some on Twitter were quick to condemn LaBeouf for his behavior.

Another Twitter user wrote, in a now-deleted tweet, that “Shia LeBoeuf [sic] literally laughed at the kid with special needs.. wtf.” However, many Tweets defended LaBeouf and clarified misunderstandings that some seemed to have.

Despite attending and presenting at the ceremony, LaBeouf and Gottsagen were not nominated for any Oscars.