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This article contains contains discussions of abuse that may be distressing to some readers.
FKA Twigs has issued a statement on social media addressing the lawsuit she has filed against actor and former partner Shia LaBeouf, whom she alleges was “relentlessly abusive” towards her.
Twigs filed a lawsuit against the LaBeouf in Los Angeles yesterday (December 11), alleging sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress. The pair had been in a relationship from mid-2018 to May 2019.
In a lengthy message posted to Twitter and Instagram after news of the lawsuit broke, Twigs wrote: “it may be surprising to you to learn that i was in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. it was hard for me to process too, during and after i never thought something like this would happen to me.
“which is why i have decided it’s important for me to talk about it and try to help people understand that when you are under the coercive control of an abuser or in an intimate partner violent relationship leaving doesn’t feel like a safe or achievable option.”
She continued, “i hope that by sharing my experience i can truly help others feel like they are not alone and shed some light on how those who are worried somebody they care about may be in an abusive relationship can help because i understand it can be confusing and hard to know what to do.”
Twigs said that statistics on “domestically abusive and intimate partner violence relationships” were “shocking”, adding that “during covid i have been really anxious because i know many victims will have been literally trapped with their abusers with no relief or way to get out.”
Read her full message below.
In her lawsuit, as reported by the New York Times, Twigs accuses LaBeouf of “relentless abuse” during their relationship. She alleged that he was repeatedly abusive during a trip they took together in 2019, once waking Twigs up in the middle of the night, choking her.
The lawsuit also alleges that on the way back from the trip, LaBeouf was driving a car recklessly with Twigs in the passenger seat. He removed his seatbelt and allegedly threatened to crash the car unless she professed her love for him. After she pleaded to be let out of the car and removed her bags when they pulled over at a gas station, LaBeouf allegedly followed and physically assaulted Twigs, forcing her back into the vehicle.
Twigs also alleged that LaBeouf would grab or squeeze her violently, to the point of bruising, and that he knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease.
In an email to the newspaper, LaBeouf responded to Twigs’ claims – as well of those of another former girlfriend, Karolyn Pho, who has also accused him of abuse – saying, “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalisations. 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. There is nothing else I can say.”
LaBeouf also told the New York Times that “many of these allegations are not true”, but said that he owed the women “the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done”.
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the following for help:
Domestic Violence Assist – 0800 195 8699
National Centre for Domestic Violence – 0800 970 2070
Victim Support – 0808 168 9 111
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