FKA Twigs on why she spoke out about Shia LaBeouf abuse allegations

Actor and musician FKA Twigs (real name Tahliah Barnett) has opened up about why she went public with the abuse allegations she made against her ex-boyfriend, Shia LaBeouf.

Barnett and LaBeouf started dating in 2018 after they met on the set of Honey Boy, but the pair split up after less than a year, with Barnett later going on to file a lawsuit against her ex. In the lawsuit, which she filed in 2020, Barnett accused the Transformers star of sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress. She also claims that LaBeouf "knowingly" infected her with an STD and that their relationship was a "living nightmare" which has left her suffering with PTSD.

LaBeouf has denied the allegations, and said via his legal team that he was not responsible for causing his ex-partner any "injury or loss", adding that she is not "entitled to any relief or damages whatsoever" and that he denies "each and every" claim made against him. However, he previously told the New York Times that his struggles with alcohol had caused him to be abusive to those around him.

"I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations," he said in an email to the newspaper. "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."

Now, 34-year-old Barnett has revealed why she decided to speak out against LaBeouf, telling GQ: "I just didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, and that trumped any way that I felt about what people may think about me now, positively or negatively."

She went on, "If I ever have children, I want them to know that I stood up for myself, and that’s important. And sometimes, standing up for yourself is messy. Sometimes it can cause more trauma, and sometimes it can be dividing. People don’t expect you to stand up for yourself, but I did and I’m proud of it, and what happened to me wasn’t right."

The trial date for Barnett's case against LaBeouf is currently set for 17 April 2023.

Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247, is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for free, confidential specialist support. You can also visit click here to request a safe time to be contacted or to access live chat (live chat available 3pm-10pm, Monday to Friday).

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