Tahliah Barnett, also known as FKA Twigs, is bringing her ex, Shia LaBeouf, back to court.
The new lawsuit centers around a settlement from a previous sexual battery suit between the two, and an “unlawful” NDA.
Lawsuit Against NDA
FKA Twigs claims that Shia tried to silence her through NDA provisions from her lawsuit settlement from 2020.
She claims the NDA terms of the settlement are unlawful under California’s Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure Act (STAND), which she claims invalidates portions of confidentiality provisions in certain settlements.
FKA’s most recent lawsuit stems from December 2025, when the singer claims Shia filed a secret arbitration complaint against her, alleging comments she made in a news publication violated the NDA terms of the 2020 settlement.
She further claims Shia is looking for an “exorbitant” amount of money for the violation, though she insists the terms are void under the STAND Act. The lawsuit she filed aims to block LaBeouf from enforcing portions of the nondisclosure agreement.
The suit states, “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. 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.”
FKA’s “Breach” of NDA
LaBeouf’s arbitration demand stems from a cover story in The Hollywood Reporter, where LKA Twigs answered a question about feeling safe with the 2020 lawsuit behind her.
She replied, “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.”
LaBeouf and his legal team see this as a breach of contract for the settlement and sought massive damages. However, the arbitration has since been dropped.
Within FKA’s lawsuit are claims that “even if the NDA provisions at issue were legal,” Barnett’s statements to the Reporter were “laudable, generic and benign,” and therefore protected.
2020 Sexual Battery Case
FKA sued Shia in December 2020, alleging he physically abused her, tormented her, and knowingly gave her an STI. They later settled the lawsuit out of court.
The pair originally met in 2018, and Barnett moved in shortly after. However, things went south as LaBeouf engaged in a “continuous stream of verbal and mental abuse” towards FKA.
One incident in the lawsuit even mentioned LaBeouf slamming Barnett against his car and strangling her.
FKA Trying to “Right a Wrong”
Mathew Rosengart, a lawyer for FKA, added in the lawsuit that Barnett “files this action to right a wrong, and also on behalf of other women who are the victims of sexual and domestic violence who do not have the resources to speak out and defend themselves from predators.”
The statement added, “In so doing, she seeks to ensure that survivors of sexual misconduct are not bullied or silenced like she was.”