Try to follow this one: in expressing regret for plagiarizing the work of others, actor Shia LaBeouf offered up an apology that, in part, stole word-for-word from Tiger Woods’ apology for infidelity in 2009.
According to a Buzzfeed report, LaBeouf took directly from other writers in compiling a short film along with a series of comic books. In response, the 27-year-old took to Twitter to write a string of tweets apologizing for his actions, explaining that he “got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation.”
One in the series of tweets sent by LaBeouf, though, seemed somewhat familiar to golf fans:
I have let my family down, and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 18, 2013
That sentence is a word-for-word replica from Woods’ apology, offered up in December 2009 in the immediate wake of his automobile accident and subsequent revelations about his personal life.
LaBeouf’s creative license while apologizing, however, did not stop there:
I was wrong, terribly wrong. I owe it to future generations to explain why.
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 18, 2013
The tweet above, sent directly after the sentence copying Woods’ mea culpa, is a replica of statements made by Gen. Robert S. McNamara in his memoirs while reflecting on U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.