Christy Carlson Romano on Shia LaBeouf: 'I don't even really know if we were ever really friends'

"Everybody always asks me this question, if we're still in touch, if we're still friends," the 37-year-old actress and singer says. "To be honest, I don't even really know if we were ever really friends, but we were co-workers. We had this sort of, like, really good on-screen chemistry. People assumed that we were in real-life brother and sister and that in real-life I had an influence over what this guy did."

"Watched Honey Boy, and it's like, he's a completely traumatized young man at the same time that I'm working with him," Romano continues. "I'm honored that people would think that I would still be in touch with him because it means that we really did a good job of making you guys think that we were real-life brother and sister, but in reality, it just wasn't like that. We weren't really close."

Even Stevens premiered in 2000 and ran for three seasons on Disney Channel before officially closing the book with The Even Stevens Movie in 2003. LaBeouf was 14 years old when the series began, and Romano was 16. For reference, Honey Boy is a 2019 drama written by LaBeouf and based on his tumultuous upbringing as a child actor and strenuous relationship with his father.

Otis, the fictionalized version of LaBeouf's younger self was played by Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges, while LaBeouf portrayed his father—named Jeffrey in real life but James in the film.

"The person that I knew is not the same person now, just based on all of this life experience that he's had, and I'm not the same person that he knew," Romano adds about midway through the video. "The only thing that I can say is that I really do kind of wish at the time that I was younger I would've given him a little bit more time and energy and love. Like a real sister. I really kind of regret that. Kind of makes me sad."

The former Kim Possible star then admits she "couldn't bring myself to watch" any of LaBeouf's movies after their stint on Even Stevens because she was "a bit salty" and "felt a little jilted by the whole situation" because she felt he had a better manager that allowed him to become"this huge star." See: Holes or the Transformers franchise.

"I was like, 'Here he is, making a big ol' splash in Hollywood, and here I am, I chose to go to college!'" she says. "There's consequences that come with that, but like, there was definitely an undercurrent of regret but also an undercurrent of, like, comparison. Sibling rivalry, if you will!"

The video concludes with Romano sending a positive message to her former on-screen brother: "Shia, if you see this, know that I love you. I'm sorry that we didn't connect more when we were kids, and I really do hope that you are taking it one day at a time. Say hi to your mom for me. She's a wonderful lady. Be well because I'll always love you."

Last December, LaBeouf was sued by ex FKA Twigs for allegedly inflicting 'relentless abuse,' including sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress," as reported by The New York Times. The 35-year-old actor and filmmaker denied all allegations made by Twigs and another former girlfriend.

LaBeouf had previously been fired last September from the upcoming Olivia Munn-directed period drama Don't Worry Darling, a development first reported by Variety around the troubling lawsuit in December. He was replaced by Harry Styles.