FKA Twigs, Shia LaBeouf Settle Sexual Assault Lawsuit

FKA Twigs has dismissed her sexual battery and assault lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf after reaching a private settlement with the actor, Rolling Stone has learned.

Twigs’ lawyer, Bryan Freedman, filed a request for dismissal that was accepted by the court on Monday. He and LaBeouf’s lawyer, Shawn Holley, tell Rolling Stone that the case is now over. “Committed to forging a constructive path forward, we have agreed to settle our case out of court. While the details of the settlement will remain private, we wish each other personal happiness, professional success and peace in the future,” they said in a joint statement.

In her lawsuit, Twigs, born Tahliah Barnett, alleged that LaBeouf terrorized and assaulted her, both verbally and physically, during a tumultuous relationship that started soon after they made the movie Honey Boy together in 2018. Barnett, 37, claimed LaBeouf, 39, tried to choke her multiple times, including once during an alleged attack at a gas station in February 2019. LaBeouf “threw Tahliah against the car and attempted to strangle her violently while screaming in her face,” the lawsuit said. She alleged that shortly before the gas station incident, LaBeouf threw her to the ground outside a hotel and drove “maniacally” in a car while threatening to crash their vehicle unless Barnett “professed her eternal love for him.”

LaBeouf initially struck an apologetic tone in an email to the New York Times when Barnett first stepped forward with her claims. “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt,” he wrote.

The Transformers actor later denied Barnett’s allegations in a February 2021 answer to her complaint, stating through his lawyers that he denied causing Barnett “any injury or loss” and that she is not “entitled to any relief or damages whatsoever.” A trial in the case was set to begin Sept. 29.

Barnett requested a dismissal “with prejudice,” meaning she gave up her right to file her claims again at a later date.