FKA Twigs Sues Shia LaBeouf Over NDA in Sexual Battery Settlement, Sparking Legal Battle

Singer and dancer FKA twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, has filed a lawsuit against actor Shia LaBeouf, challenging the legality of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) included in the settlement of her 2020 sexual battery lawsuit.

The lawsuit, obtained by Variety, states that LaBeouf allegedly extracted a settlement that contained unlawful terms under California’s Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure Act (STAND Act). This law nullifies portions of NDAs in sexual abuse settlements, such as Barnett’s.

The original 2020 case involved allegations of physical, sexual, and mental abuse during the couple's relationship.

The suit also reveals that LaBeouf filed a “secret arbitration complaint” in 2025, seeking an “exorbitant” amount of money for an alleged breach of the 2020 settlement.

LaBeouf’s arbitration claim allegedly targeted Barnett’s statements from an October 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where she was asked if she felt “a sense of safety” after moving on with her relationship with LaBeouf.

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. I think it’s less about me at this point and more about looking forward. Just, you know, moving on with my life.”

The suit adds that, even if the NDA provisions at issue were legal, Barnett’s statements to the outlet were “laudable, generic and benign,” and therefore protected.

Barnett’s lawyers claim she was “forced” to file this motion as a way to combat LaBeouf’s “erroneous, preposterous legal position.”

LaBeouf's argument is that he is not covered by the STAND Act because he was allegedly sued by Barnett in 2020 only for sexual “battery,” not sexual “assault,” despite the law covering both.

"LaBeouf’s campaign of intimidation and abuse of the legal system denigrates not just Mr. Barnett but every survivor of sexual abuse in this State,” the suit reads.

“As the California Legislature has made clear, survivors should have the right to tell their stories without fear or coercion, and California law does not and must not allow abusers and bullies to silence them through secret agreements containing unconscionable, unlawful gag orders.”

The 2020 case was filed in the Superior Court of California, accusing LaBeouf of injuries sustained “over months of ‘physical, sexual and mental abuse’ during their relationship.”