Shia Labeouf ran into a backlash over the weekend after the David Ayers trailer The tax collector thrown out. Shia takes on the role of Creeper, who is a criminal boss who collects taxes from other criminal organizations in the Los Angeles area. Many quickly noticed that Shia, who is the only white character in the film, is possibly taking on a “brown face” shape as a white man who plays a Latino.

“@DavidAyerMovies Hello, really important question that I think you should answer publicly in 2020. Does Shia Lebouf play a Latino character in Tax Collector? If so, why didn’t you choose a Latino actor?” A user on Twitter asked.

“Really important answer: Shia is playing a white boy who grew up in the neighborhood. This is a Jewish guy who plays a white character. He is also the only white guy in the movie,” Ayer said in response. She further elaborated as a “white boy” who “grew up with a hood”.

“Chicano culture is inclusive: I have seen whites, Asians, blacks and Filipinos working for the neighborhood. It is part of the street culture,” he continued, before adding that he is representing “LA Hood shit” with his latest film. She later clarified that Chicano culture is not necessarily more than Los Angeles street culture.

In a later tweet, he made it clear that Shia is not doing Brownface in this movie. Check out her answer below.