FKA Twigs opened up on Friday about being in an abusive relationship after she sued actor Shia LaBeouf for sexual battery, assault and emotional distress. Explaining how she dealt with domestic violence, the British singer-songwriter said it was difficult for her to process the ordeal and not speaking up about it earlier.
The 32-year-old, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court accusing LaBeouf of physically, emotionally and mentally abusing her throughout their year-long relationship. The lawsuit stated that the "Disturbia" actor knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease and even belittled and berate her after what he perceived as slight "insult" from her.
"[I]t may be surprising to you to learn that I was in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. it was hard for me to process too, during and after I never thought something like this would happen to me," Barnett wrote on a Twitter thread. "[M]y second worst nightmare is being forced to share with the world that I am a survivor of domestic violence. [M]y first worst nightmare is not telling anyone and knowing that I could have helped even just one person by sharing my story."
Barnett's lawsuit detailed a February 2019 incident where she was in a car driven by 34-year-old LaBeouf who threatened to crash the vehicle unless she professed her love for him. He then pulled over at a gas station after Barnet pleaded him to let her out of the car and assaulted her and forced her back in the vehicle, the lawsuit claimed.
In a statement to the New York Times, LaBeouf did not deny the allegations and said that he was "ashamed" and "sorry" about his actions.
"I'm not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel," he told the NY 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."
