FKA Twigs sues Shia Labeouf for 'relentless' abuse

FKA Twig has sued actor Shia LaBeouf for aggressive sexual, emotional and physical abuse. According to The New York Times, the lawsuit cites an incident at a gas station in 2019 where, as Twigs was attempting to walk away from the car LaBeouf had been recklessly driving, LaBeouf followed her and grabbed her, throwing her against the car while shouting at her, before forcing her to get back into the vehicle.

The British musician was in a relationship with LaBeouf for just under a year, in which time she alleges their over-the-top affectionate relationship soured. LaBeouf would get angry when she spoke to or looked at male waiters, and enforced rules about how many times a day she was to kiss and touch him. The lawsuit also says that Twigs became afraid to leave, as Mr. LaBeouf would keep a loaded firearm by the bed, and wouldn't allow her to wear clothes to sleep.

The lawsuit also relies on testimony from other former girlfriends of LaBeouf's, including Karolyn Pho, a stylist who says LaBeouf pinned her to the bed and head-butted her until she bled.

According to The New York Times, Mr. LaBeouf has a "long history of turbulent behaviour." In response to being presented with the lawsuit and the women's accounts of his abuse, the 34 year old actor reportedly said: “many of these allegations are not true,” but continued on to say that he owed the women “the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done.”

"I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel,” the actor wrote in an email to The New York Times. “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.”

He also said he is “a sober member of a 12-step program" and also in therapy. “I am not cured of my PTSD and alcoholism, but I am committed to doing what I need to do to recover," he wrote. "And I will forever be sorry to the people that I may have harmed along the way.”

In an interview, Twigs said “I’d like to be able to raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency,” and stated that she was coming forward not for monetary gain, but to show that critically acclaimed artists with money, homes and strong networks of friends can still be survivors of abusive relationships.

Twigs has said in the lawsuit that she will donate a portion of any monetary damages to domestic abuse charities. "It was actually very expensive, and a massive undertaking of time and resources, to get out,” she said in an interview. The abuse was ongoing around the time she released her critically-lauded album Magdalene, which suffered countless delays.

“What I went through with Shia was the worst thing I’ve ever been through in the whole of my life,” she continued. “I don’t think people would ever think that it would happen to me. But I think that’s the thing. It can happen to anybody.”

• If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse, you can contact Safe Ireland for support.