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In December, months after settling her lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf, FKA twigs obtained an arbitration request from the actor’s legal team. He claimed breach of contract and sought aggravated damages for what he saw as a violation of the deal’s nondisclosure agreement during an interview in which she said, “I’m not going to feel safe” with that chapter of her life behind her.
Arbitration was later denied, but the settlement resulting from the case and subsequent legal actions are now the subject of a lawsuit from FKA Twigs. She claims LaBeouf is trying to illegally prevent her from discussing issues of sexual violence and sharing any information about the acts related to her own experience with alleged sexual assault by the actor. FKA twigs, in the complaint filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, is seeking a court order barring LaBeouf from enforcing portions of the nondisclosure agreement, which she contends violate California law.
FKA Twigs, whose real name is Tahlia Barnett, “brings this action to right a wrong, as well as on behalf of other women victims of sexual and domestic violence who do not have the resources to speak out and defend themselves from predators,” Matthew Rosengart, the singer-songwriter’s attorney, wrote in the complaint. “In doing so, she seeks to ensure survivors of sexual misconduct are not bullied or silenced as she was.”
In 2016, California banned conditions in settlements that prevent disclosure of factual information about sex crimes that can be prosecuted as felonies. Two years later, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, lawmakers passed the STAND Act, which bans nondisclosure agreements in cases of sexual assault, discrimination and sexual harassment that do not amount to criminal prosecutions. Its purpose is to deter secret settlements designed to hide sexual misconduct by the rich and powerful.
But under the agreement reached by Barnett and LaBeouf, the singer is prohibited not only from disclosing information about acts related to her own experience with sexual assault, but also from discussing the case publicly. The lawsuit, which does not seek damages and notes that the case is about “justice and the law, not money,” claims those terms violate the STAND Act.
After Barnett received the arbitration request in December, Rosengart said the nondisclosure clauses in the settlement were illegal, the lawsuit said. LaBeouf’s lawyer countered that the STAND Act did not apply because Barnett only made a claim of sexual battery and not sexual assault in her 2020 lawsuit, according to the complaint.
“LaBeouf’s preposterous argument should offend every citizen of California,” the lawsuit says. “In addition to defying common sense, it is also legally wrong because assault is a prerequisite to battery.”
In February, LaBeouf agreed to drop the arbitration request. The alleged violation of the settlement stems from a cover story by Barnett Hollywood Reporter. When asked if she feels safe with the lawsuit against her, Twigs responded, “No, I wouldn’t say I feel safe. I feel really passionate about being involved with organizations like Sistah Space and No More, helping survivors in any way I can. I think it’s less about me at this point and more about looking to the future. Just, you know, moving forward with my life.”
Last year, Barnett and LaBeouf reached a settlement to resolve a lawsuit accusing him of “continuous abuse.” According to the complaint, the duo met in 2018, around the time he finished filming Honey boywith Barnett moving in with him shortly after. LaBeouf then engaged in a “continuous stream of verbal and mental abuse” before escalating into physical violence. In one incident, LaBeouf hit Barnett with his car and choked her, according to the lawsuit, which noted that he kept a loaded gun next to their bed.
At the time the complaint was filed, LaBeouf said New York Times“I am not in a position to tell anyone how my behavior has made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only justifications. I have been abusing myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I am ashamed of this history and apologize to those I have hurt.”
The filing comes as LaBeouf faces battery charges in New Orleans after a fight between two men involved in him being kicked out of a bar, where he was allegedly causing a disturbance and displaying violent aggression. One of the alleged victims later described the confrontation as a hate crime because it was described as a homophobic slur.
Barnett represents Rosengart, who is best known for freeing Britney Spears from her conservatorship and who has a host of clients including Sean Penn, Steven Spielberg and Michael Mann.
