FKA Twigs sues ex Shia LaBeouf over 'unlawful' NDA
What's the story
British singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett, has filed a lawsuit against actor Shia LaBeouf, alleging that he tried to "silence her" with an "unlawful" non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This NDA was part of their 2020 sexual battery settlement. The STAND Act (Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure Act) prohibits certain NDAs in sexual abuse settlements like Barnett's.
Legal maneuver
LaBeouf filed 'secret arbitration complaint' against Barnett in 2025
In 2025, LaBeouf reportedly filed a "secret arbitration complaint" against Barnett for an alleged breach of their 2020 settlement. The complaint seemingly targeted Barnett's comments in a Hollywood Reporter interview about whether she felt safe after moving on from her relationship with LaBeouf. She had said that she wouldn't say she felt safe and that she felt really passionate about being involved with organizations such as Sistah Space and No More to help survivors in any way that she could.
Legal response
Barnett's legal team has countered his claims
Barnett's legal team has countered LaBeouf's claim, arguing that her statements were "laudable, generic and benign," and thus protected. They have also sought to dismiss LaBeouf's suit on the grounds that the NDA provisions in their settlement are "illegal and void." The lawsuit states, "LaBeouf's campaign of intimidation and abuse of the legal system denigrates not just Mr. Barnett but every survivor of sexual abuse in this State."
Background
What was the original lawsuit about?
In December 2020, Barnett had sued LaBeouf in the Superior Court of California for injuries sustained "over months of physical, sexual and mental abuse during their relationship." She also alleged that the actor knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease. The case was dismissed with prejudice on July 18, two months before the trial was to begin. Barnett (38) dated LaBeouf (39) from 2018-2019.