Shia LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriend Margaret Qualley on FKA twigs’s abuse allegations: ‘It’s important that she knows I believe her’

‘It’s as simple as that,’ said star

Maid star Margaret Qualley, who was dating the actor Shia LaBeouf when singer FKA twigs accused him of abuse, is standing in support of the musician.

In December last year, FKA twigs, real name Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf, accusing him of sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress.

Qualley, who is the daughter of actor Andie MacDowell, was dating LaBeouf when the allegations were first made and was pictured with the actor in the days after. However, the pair reportedly split in January.

In February, Qualley reshared twigs’s Elle interview, in which she told her story, on her Instagram feed, captioning the post: “Thank you.”

In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Qualley reflected on the Instagram post, saying: “It was important to me for her to know that I believe her. It’s as simple as that.”

On her role in Netflix’s Maid as a character who endures emotional abuse, Qualley said: “Unfortunately, it’s so common. And it’s true that more than half of people experience some level of psychological threat within a relationship in their lifetime. I just did my best to read the script and experience Alex’s reality as much as possible within the scenes.”

After FKA twigs (real name Tahliah Barnett) filed the lawsuit against LaBeouf, the actor was dropped by his agents and was said to be taking time off from acting.

He also checked into a wellness facility, without confirming what kind of treatment he was receiving. He had previously been in rehab for alcohol addiction.

Responding to the allegations from twigs and those from others, LaBeouf told The New York Times in December that many of them are “not true”, but he is sorry to those he hurt.

In February, LaBeouf’s lawyers filed a “defendant’s answer to complaint” which declared that the actor denied “each and every allegation” made by twigs in her lawsuit.

LaBeouf appears to be planning a comeback, with filmmaker Abel Ferrara revealing that the actor will star in his forthcoming movie about Italian saint Padre Pio.

If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.