FKA twigs, the English musician, has reached a private settlement with US actor Shia LaBeouf over her lawsuit alleging sexual battery and assault. The settlement was confirmed in legal documents filed on Tuesday, with both parties agreeing to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the claims cannot be refiled.
The 37-year-old singer, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, sued LaBeouf in 2020, accusing him of a pattern of “relentless” abuse during their relationship from 2018 to 2019. Allegations included non-consensual exposure to a sexually transmitted infection, attempted strangulation, and physical assault. LaBeouf denied all wrongdoing.
In a joint statement, Barnett’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, and LaBeouf’s lawyer, Shawn Holley, said: “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.”
The case had been delayed multiple times, with disputes over evidence and LaBeouf’s attempts to dismiss Barnett’s demand for $10m in damages. Barnett’s legal team argued that career success should not diminish the impact of emotional distress. LaBeouf previously acknowledged his history of abuse in a 2020 email to the New York Times, stating he had “no excuses” for his behaviour.
Barnett, whose latest album Eusexua was released in January, said she came forward to raise awareness about domestic abuse tactics. LaBeouf has since starred in films including Megalopolis and Salvable.
