FKA twigs sues Shia LaBeouf for 'relentless abuse'


FKA twigs is suing Shia LaBeouf and accusing the actor of "relentless abuse."
The musician, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the Transformers actor for allegedly abusing her during their relationship, The New York Times reported on Friday.
Barnett reportedly accuses LaBeouf of "sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress," laying out a number of incidents in which the actor allegedly choked her, threw her against a car while screaming at her, threatened to crash a car while driving without his seatbelt "unless she professed her love for him," knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease, and grabbed her "to the point of bruising."
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She reportedly describes how LaBeouf allegedly had "rules about how many times a day she had to kiss and touch him" and wouldn't allow her to wear clothing in bed. By the spring of 2019, Barnett alleges LaBeouf "violently grabbed" her and locked her in a room when she planned to leave him. The lawsuit reportedly includes a sworn statement from Barnett's housekeeper, who says she witnessed this incident.
The lawsuit also reportedly includes abuse allegations from another ex-girlfriend of LaBeouf's, Karolyn Pho, who says he once pinned her to a bed and head-butted her so hard that she bled. Both Barnett and Pho say LaBeouf "did not like it if they spoke to or looked at male waiters," the Times reports.
In an interview with the Times, Barnett said she hoped to "raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency." LaBeouf told the Times that "many of these allegations are not true," but he said he has a "history of hurting the people closest to me" and that "I'm ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt." Read more at The New York Times.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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