While announcing the Best Live Action Short award at the Dolby Theatre in 2020, Shia LaBeouf appeared to deviate from the script. Many believed the chuckle was meant for Zach Gottsagen, his co-star in The Peanut Butter Falcon.
Gottsagen portrayed a man with Down syndrome in the 2019 comedy-drama, Peanut Butter Falcon.
LaBeouf’s actions confused fans, who were unsure if he was laughing with his friend or simply making fun of a person who had a disability. They were earlier seen walking the red carpet together and hugging for pictures. Even though some people thought he was making fun of his co-star, Gottsagen’s mother has defended the actor.
Gottsagen made history in 2020 when he became the first Oscar presenter who has Down syndrome. He presented the Best Live Action Short Film Award at the 92nd Academy Awards alongside LaBeouf.
Shia LaBeouf Would ‘Never’ Laugh At Zack Gottsagen?
At the 2020 ceremony, when Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf presented the award together, some people believed LaBeouf was making fun of Gottsagen because he has Down syndrome. However, the mother (Shelley Gottsagen) of the latter refuted this.
Shelley Gottsagen has earlier clarified while making a statement that whatever happened on the Oscars stage (2020) was misconstrued by some viewers.
In an interview with TooFab, Gottsagen’s mother discussed her son and Labeouf’s “beautiful” friendship. She said that the Holes actor would “never” laugh at her son, adding:
“I would hate to see any misconception out there. I mean, you know, Shia is just wonderful, you know, we really love him. If anything, I think they were grinning because it was hard to get the envelope open.”
Further, she said:
“We just love Shia and the respect that Shia and Zack have for each other is beautiful. Their friendship is really, really beautiful. And, you know, it just, it upset me when I thought that somebody was thinking that Shia could have ever had a kind of negative attitude ’cause he’s been nothing, nothing, nothing but supportive.”
The Honey Boy Director Defended Shia LaBeouf
For those who are unaware, Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen became good friends while they were filming The Peanut Butter Falcon. The former was detained for misconduct, public intoxication, and obstruction in Georgia (2017) as the two were filming The Peanut Butter Falcon.
LaBeouf claimed Gottsagen supported him during a difficult period of his life as he told The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast:
“I’m on the set, can’t look at anybody in the eyes, and the only person who I feel like is giving me any kind of connection, non-judgmentally, is Zack.”
While some claimed that the Fury star had made fun of his friend, others, including the Honey Boy director, Alma Har’el, quickly denied the claims. As she tweeted:
Shia was offered to present an Oscar. He said he would do it if he can share that moment with his beloved co-star Zach Gottsagen who we all adore. It’s stressful up there… pic.twitter.com/F75aT1vURa
— Alma Har’el🌪 עלמה (@Almaharel) February 10, 2020
In addition, Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, claimed that Gottsagen made history by becoming the first person with Down syndrome to deliver a speech at the Academy Awards. He said in a statement:
“For nearly a century, disability has been glaringly left out of the conversation on diversity in Hollywood, [so this] award presentation marks a substantive step forward for both the Academy and the entertainment industry as a whole. It is our sincere hope that this milestone serves as a springboard for greater inclusion in Hollywood, including through increased authentic casting of actors with disabilities in disability-based roles, and able-bodied based roles.”
LaBeouf and Gottsagen’s 2019 comedy-drama film, The Peanut Butter Falcon gained critical acclaim and went on to become a sleeper hit, earning over $23 million to become the highest-grossing independent movie of the year.
The Peanut Butter Falcon is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Source- Twitter
