Shia LaBeouf has allegedly tried to extract an “exorbitant” sum of money from his ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs.
The troubled actor claims she violated the terms of an NDA tied to their 2025 settlement agreement.
The news was revealed in a lawsuit filed by FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Barnett, which was filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Rolling Stone reports.
The Grammy-winning singer alleged that in the latest example of LaBeouf trying to “control” her “for the better part of a decade”, he had filed a “secret arbitration complaint” last December over an interview she gave to The Hollywood Reporter.
At the time of the interview, the Eusexua singer had recently settled her 2020 lawsuit against LaBeouf, whom she accused of sexual battery, assault and mental abuse over the course of their one-year relationship between 2018 and 2019.
Asked whether she felt safe after the ordeal, Barnett answered, “No, I wouldn’t say I feel safe. I feel really passionate about being involved with organisations such as Sistah Space and No More, to help survivors in any way that I can. I think it’s less about me at this point and more about looking forward. Just, you know, moving on with my life.”
That statement, the lawsuit claims, was then used by LaBeouf and his attorneys to seek “exorbitant monies from her for her supposed violation of the settlement agreement’s NDA provisions”.
The lawsuit argues that LaBeouf’s arbitration claim is legally frivolous on three grounds: Barnett’s vague statement didn’t mention LaBeouf; the NDA in itself is unlawful; and due to LaBeouf’s own conduct, he’d be unable to prove any “damages” anyway.
“The settlement seeks not only to silence Ms Barnett about her own story as a survivor but also to silence her from supporting other survivors as well,” the suit continues.
LaBeouf is currently facing three charges of simple battery stemming from an incident in a bar in New Orleans during Mardi Gras celebrations in February.
