Shia LaBeouf Plagiarizes Directorial Debut, Apologizes With More Plagiarism

Credit: Getty Images

Once upon a time Shia LaBeouf made a film, but didn't give credit to the story's original creator. Then he apologized, without giving credit to the person whose comments on plagiarism he stole. Ugh.

The trouble started when LaBeouf released his 2012 directorial debut HowardCantour.com, which was directly inspired by author Daniel Clowe's (author of Ghost World) 2007 comic Justin M. Damiano. However he failed to credit Clowe's anywhere in the film.

In a statement released by Clowe's publisher Fantagraphics, they announced that:

Shia LaBeouf's new short film, HowardCantour.com, is a complete rip off of Daniel Clowes's comic "Justin M. Damiano." Every-word from the 4 page comic created by Clowes in 2006 is used in the script for LaBeouf's directional debut. Clowes never authorized the use of his comic for HowardCantour.com. He had no knowledge that he had been plagiarized until today when the film was posted on Vimeo.

Added the website Comics Alliance:

The film, which was posted online earlier today but has since been removed, shares several similarities with Clowes’ short story, with lines that are lifted directly from the comic. Yet in an interview with the website Short of the Week, LaBeouf, who has been accused of plagiarism in the past, claims to have come up with the concept for the film organically, having been inspired by negative reviews he received for his lackluster comics work, as well as the films he has reportedly appeared in.

In response LaBeouf in-part plagiarized a lengthy apology on his Twitter writing:

https://twitter.com/thecampaignbook/status/412835090671357952

https://twitter.com/thecampaignbook/status/412835161127276544

https://twitter.com/thecampaignbook/status/412835199731638272

https://twitter.com/thecampaignbook/status/412835215758082048

https://twitter.com/thecampaignbook/status/412835231788695552

He would later go on to add the simple missive, "I f*cked up."

Unfortunately, many would go on to point out that even his apology was in fact plagiarized from a Yahoo Answers response from 4-years-ago.

As user Lili wrote on the site, "Merely copying isn't particularly creative work, though it's useful as training and practice. Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work, and it may even revolutionalize the "stolen" concept. "

Shia LaBeouf, you are the worst.