In 2019, American actor and filmmaker Shia LaBeouf and singer FKA Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, experienced a tumultuous end to their relationship. In 2020, Twigs filed a lawsuit against the Transformers actor accusing him of the physical abuse. However, the trial was delayed but is now tentatively set for October. With the date nearing, FKA Twigs recently spoke to British Vogue about how the abuse affected her nervous system.
Shia LaBeouf and ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs lawsuit explained
FKA Twigs accused Shia LaBeouf of emotionally, physically, and mentally abusing her in a lawsuit filed in 2019. The singer detailed how LaBeouf exerted control over her in various ways. She detailed one incident when LaBeouf was “recklessly driving” with her in the passenger seat and threatened to crash the car unless she professed her love for him.
Apart from this, FKA Twigs also alleged in the lawsuit that LaBeouf knowingly infected her with a sexually transmitted disease. She mentions in the lawsuit how LaBeouf used to enforce rules on her regarding physical displays of affection.
According to an Elle report, FKA Twigs even alleged that Shia LaBeouf used to sleep with a gun on the bedside table. This instilled fear in her when she used the restroom at night.
FKA Twigs also recalled how LaBeouf prevented her from leaving him in 2019 by “violently” grabbing her and locking her up in a room. The lawsuit also included LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriend and stylist, Karolyn Pho. She alleged the actor had headbutted her in a drunken state after pinning her on the bed.
Speaking to the New York Times later, LaBeouf did express regret saying, “I will forever be sorry to the people that I may have harmed along the way,” while he admitted suffering from alcoholism and PTSD.
What was FKA Twigs’ ‘nervous system’ comment?
Recently, FKA Twigs spoke about the experiences she had in her relationship with Shia LaBeouf.
In an interview with British Vogue she said, “I think naively I thought it would be like any other breakup, that I’d be sad for six months to a year, and then one day I’d wake up and everything would be fine. But the fact is being abused changes the whole of your nervous system.”
She further said, “My window of tolerance is now much smaller than it used to be, my body manifests stress in quite extreme ways — it really shows me when it’s upset.”
Speaking about how she is dealing with the aftereffects of the relationship, FKA Twigs says, “I’ve had to be very compassionate with myself and really listen to myself to get better.”
