This week Shia LaBeouf, star of the blockbuster Transformers franchise finally spoke out about his former co-star Megan Fox and her notable absence from the latest sequel Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Fox appeared in the first two movies in the franchise but was abruptly replaced by Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for the third.
Neither Fox, director Michael Bay, or anyone else from the film revealed what caused the switch but LaBeouf has broken his silence and his words may surprise you. He claims that Fox was intimidated by the sex symbol status Bay and the series put on her. She just couldn’t handle it and had to walk away. Do you buy that?
While doing an interview with The Los Angeles Times, LaBeouf said the following regarding Fox’s departure from the Transformers franchise.
“Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment [stuff] that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women. Mike films women in a way that appeals to a 16-year-old sexuality. It’s summer. It’s Michael’s style. And I think [Fox] never got comfortable with it. This is a girl who was taken from complete obscurity and placed in a sex-driven role in front of the whole world and told she was the sexiest woman in America. And she had a hard time accepting it. When Mike would ask her to do specific things, there was no time for fluffy talk. We’re on the run. And the one thing Mike lacks is tact. There’s no time for [LaBeouf assumes a gentle voice] ‘I would like you to just arch your back 70 degrees.’”
Now let’s examine this. It’s no secret that Bay has a way with the camera and the ladies. He’s known for his objectifying angles just as much as his over the top explosions. We could understand how Fox could be uncomfortable with the situation she was put in. Do we need to remind you of that sweaty car scene in the first Transformers where she’s checking under the hood of Sam’s car?
With that being said, Fox was a young girl who was thrown into the spotlight and put into a sex pot mold. Not everyone can handle that so LaBeouf’s version of the story is plausible. But we can’t forget the bad blood that played out in the public between Bay and Fox after the second film wrapped. The actress compared the director to Hitler and said he was hard to work with, which sparked an anonymous letter from three Transformers crew members that came to Bay’s defense. Not only did they say he was a great director to work with but they claimed Fox was a horror on set.
We think both issues played a part. It’s hard to believe that Bay’s “sex sells” tactics were the sole force behind her being fired or leaving the series. She’ done plenty of sexy roles after Transformers including Jennifer’s Body and Jonah Hex where she even played a prostitute. If she genuinely hated being objectified those roles wouldn’t have been options. But if you’re being asked to be over the top sexy by someone you don’t like and consider a borderline pervert, you might have a problem. We think in there lies the answer.
Here’s a Megan Fox highlight from the first Transformers do you see the problem?
