FKA twigs explains why she spoke out about alleged Shia LaBeouf abuse
Musician filed lawsuit against actor in 2020 for alleged sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress
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Your support makes all the difference.FKA twigs has reflected on her decision to publicly accuse actor Shia LaBeouf of abuse.
The British actor-musician – real name Tahliah Barnett – filed a lawsuit in 2020 against the Honey Boy star for “relentless abuse” including sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress, during what she called a “living nightmare” of a relationship.
In February 2021, LaBeouf denied causing twigs “any injury or loss”, saying that she was not “entitled to any relief or damages whatsoever”.
Speaking to GQ in a new interview, twigs said she chose to go public with her accusations because “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”.
After speaking out, twigs started working with an organisation called Sistah Space that provides resources to survivors of abuse, with a particular focus on people of African heritage.
She added: “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.”
Sistah Space’s operations manager, Djanomi Headley, told the publication that twigs’s endorsement has “created a huge snowball effect and gained us the necessary exposure to ensure that the voice and perspective of Black women affected by domestic abuse were seen and heard”.
The trial date for twigs’s case against LaBeouf has been set for 17 April 2023.
twigs’s latest album, CAPRISONGS, is out now. Read The Independent’s four-star review here.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here.