Shia LaBeouf takes steps to treat alcoholism
A publicist said Shia LaBeouf is being treated for alcoholism.
Melissa Kates said Tuesday the 28-year-old actor has not checked into a rehab facility but is receiving voluntary treatment for alcohol addiction.
Kates said in a statement that LaBeouf’s recent actions, which include an arrest for disrupting a Broadway play, are symptoms of a larger health problem.
She said he has taken the first of many necessary steps toward recovery.
LaBeouf was charged with disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and harassment during a production of “Cabaret” last week.
The actor was arrested for drunken driving in 2008 after he crashed his pickup truck, injuring his hand and knee.
LaBeouf is best known for appearing in the first three “Transformers” films.
Starbucks chief writing book on vets
Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz is collaborating on a book about veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“For Love of Country: What Our Veterans Can Teach Us About Citizenship, Heroism, and Sacrifice” will be released by Alfred A. Knopf on Nov. 4. The book will be co-written by Washington Post correspondent and editor Rajiv Chandrasekaran.
“Given that less than 1 percent of our country has served in the military conflicts of the last decade, this is a time in America when it’s crucial to bridge the divide in our society between our civilian and military populations,” Schultz said in a statement issued Monday by the publisher.
Schultz has been a prominent advocate for veterans, saying that too little has been done for them once their service was completed. He has pledged to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses, and earlier this year donated $30 million for research into post-traumatic stress syndrome and brain trauma.
Williams takes 12-step refresher
Robin Williams is reconnecting with the 12-step program during a brief stay at a Minnesota facility.
A spokeswoman for the 62-year-old actor-comedian said Williams planned the visit as a respite to recharge after more than 18 straight months of work.
Publicist Mara Buxbaum said Williams is “taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud.”
Williams has been open about the challenges of maintaining sobriety. He sought treatment in 2006 when he relapsed and returned to drinking after 20 years.
Williams stars in the CBS series “The Crazy Ones” and the film “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn.”
Model-actress Jerry Hall is 58. Singer Michelle Branch is 31. Actress Ashley Tisdale is 29. Actress Lindsay Lohan is 28.