FKA Twigs Sues Shia LaBeouf Over NDA from 2020 Sexual Battery Settlement

In a significant legal escalation, artist Tahliah Barnett, known professionally as FKA twigs, has filed a new motion seeking to nullify a confidentiality agreement tied to her prior lawsuit against actor Shia LaBeouf. Her legal team argues LaBeouf "obtained a settlement" containing provisions that directly contravene California's STAND Act, legislation designed to invalidate non-disclosure agreements in cases involving sexual abuse claims. Barnett's attorneys assert her allegations, which include sexual battery, fall squarely under this protective statute.

The conflict was reignited when LaBeouf reportedly initiated a private arbitration against Barnett earlier this year, demanding a significant monetary payout. He claimed she breached their 2020 settlement through statements made in an October 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. When questioned about personal safety, Barnett responded, "No, I wouldn’t say I feel safe. I feel really passionate about being involved with organizations such as Sistah Space and No More, to help survivors in any way that I can." Her lawyers characterize these remarks as protected, "praiseworthy, and general" speech, unrelated to any confidential settlement details. This highlights a tension common in such cases: the line between a survivor advocating for a cause and an alleged violation of a secrecy clause.

Barnett's latest filing frames LaBeouf's arbitration as part of a continued "campaign of intimidation and abuse of the legal system." It emphasizes that the STAND Act's intent is to protect survivors' rights to speak about their experiences freely. In a notable rebuttal, the motion counters an argument allegedly made by LaBeouf's counsel that the law does not apply because Barnett's original suit cited "battery" rather than "assault." Legal experts suggest this technical distinction, which Barnett's team labels "baseless and absurd," could be a pivotal point for the court to clarify the law's scope. A ruling in Barnett's favor would reinforce the legislative trend against using NDAs to silence survivors, a practice increasingly scrutinized post-#MeToo.

The underlying 2020 lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, contained detailed accounts of alleged "relentless abuse" by LaBeouf during their relationship. Shia LaBeouf, whose career includes major studio films like the "Transformers" series and critically lauded personal projects such as "Honey Boy," has since publicly acknowledged past abusive tendencies and entered rehabilitation. The outcome of this motion is being closely watched, as it could establish a crucial precedent for enforcing California's survivor-protection laws and influence how similar confidentiality pacts are challenged across the entertainment industry and beyond.