For years, Shia LaBeouf was one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood—starring in blockbusters like Transformers and Indiana Jones, but also infamous for public meltdowns, addiction, and scandal.

He seemed destined for the same self-destructive spiral that has claimed so many in the entertainment industry. But something changed. While preparing for the film “Padre Pio,” Shia was forced to confront his own brokenness, and in that dark place, he found Christ—not as an abstract idea, but as a living reality.

In a series of raw, little-seen interviews, Shia lays bare his journey from chaos to faith. He describes how the pleasures and distractions of Hollywood—weed, alcohol, sex, fame—left him feeling emptier than ever.

“I would smoke weed and not get high. I would drink and not get drunk. I would have sex and feel no joy,” he admits. Despite his success, Shia felt his life was meaningless, and the industry only applauded his self-destruction.

After a violent incident on a movie set in Georgia, a producer introduced Shia to a spiritual support group. There, he saw men laughing and sharing real camaraderie—something he’d never truly found on a film set. “I’d been making these movies to build a family, but my family was disaster. I saw a real family in that group,” Shia recalls.

The group’s message was simple: “You don’t have everything you want, but you have everything you need. If you have God in your life, you’re playing with loaded dice—God cheats in your favor.”

At the lowest point in his life—estranged from family, abandoned by friends, lost in shame—Shia found himself open to something new. A mentor challenged him to pray to the waves until God showed up. Soon after, he was offered the role of Padre Pio, and through research and immersion in faith, he encountered Christ as Redeemer and Savior.

Shia’s faith journey was marked by deep questions and honest doubt. He wrestled with the logic of belief, struggled with stories in the Bible, and admitted he used to approach faith as an antagonist.

But suffering changed his perspective. “Pain makes you willing to stop arguing because joy feels good,” he says. Through suffering, he moved from skeptical belief to genuine faith.

He describes feeling truly loved by God for the first time, and wanting to live a more righteous life. “I used to manipulate and lie. Now I want to love God better,” he confesses. Shia’s transformation wasn’t instant or easy, but it was real. He began attending church, building relationships with religious men, and even planning to baptize his child.

Shia’s testimony is striking for its honesty and vulnerability. He acknowledges his past—his selfishness, dishonesty, and performative spirituality—and contrasts it with the peace he’s found in Christ. “Even the suffering feels like a gift,” he says. “Once you feel fully embraced by God, there is no suffering. The point of Christianity is to be loved and to trust a power greater than you.”

He reflects on the story of Christ on the cross, seeing not just agony but meaningful suffering and ultimate joy. Reading the Gospels for the first time, he was captivated by the masculinity of John the Baptist and the redemptive journey of Jesus. The message that struck him most was simple: let go.

Shia’s journey is a powerful reminder that Hollywood’s promises are empty, but faith can bring purpose, connection, and true joy. His story is not just a redemption arc—it’s a testament to the transformative power of suffering, surrender, and the love of Christ.