British singer and actress FKA Twigs has taken legal action again against her former boyfriend, actor Shia LaBeouf, claiming he tried to silence her using a nondisclosure agreement that violates California law. The new lawsuit, filed on March 26, 2026, in Los Angeles Superior Court, challenges the NDA that was part of their 2025 settlement from her original abuse case.
The 38-year-old musician, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, says LaBeouf attempted to enforce an “unlawful” NDA to keep her from speaking about her experience. Her legal team argues the agreement goes against California’s Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure (STAND) Act, which was created to protect survivors of sexual misconduct.
“This is a case about justice and law, not money,” said Mathew Rosengart, FKA Twigs’ attorney, in the court filing.
The Legal Dispute That Started It All
The latest legal fight stems from a 2020 lawsuit FKA Twigs filed against LaBeouf. In that original case, she accused the 39-year-old actor of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress during their relationship from 2018 to 2019. She claimed LaBeouf subjected her to “relentless abuse” that included physical violence, emotional manipulation, and knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease.
That case was settled in July 2025, with both sides agreeing to keep the settlement details private. But the new lawsuit claims the NDA included in that settlement is illegal under California law.
The dispute resurfaced after FKA Twigs gave an interview to The Hollywood Reporter in October 2025. When asked if she felt safe, she responded: “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.”
According to the new filing, LaBeouf responded by filing a secret arbitration complaint in December 2025, claiming she violated the NDA and demanding what her lawyers called “exorbitant monies”.
California Law That Protects Survivors
The STAND Act, passed in 2018 following the #MeToo movement, prohibits confidentiality provisions in settlement agreements involving sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination cases. The law was designed specifically to prevent abusers from using NDAs to silence their victims.
FKA Twigs’ legal team argues the NDA LaBeouf is trying to enforce violates this law. The filing states that “a provision within a settlement agreement that prevents or restricts the disclosure of factual information… is prohibited” under California law.
“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 complaint reads.
LaBeouf’s legal team disputes this interpretation. His attorney, Shawn Holley, said the STAND Act does not apply to this case because the original claims were not classified as sexual assault under the law’s definition.
What Happened Between FKA Twigs and Shia LaBeouf
FKA Twigs and Shia LaBeouf first met in 2018 when she was cast in his semi-autobiographical film Honey Boy. Their relationship lasted less than a year, but the effects continued long after.
In her 2020 lawsuit, FKA Twigs detailed several disturbing incidents. One involved LaBeouf driving recklessly with her in the car, threatening to crash unless she declared her love for him. When she tried to escape at a gas station, he allegedly slammed her against the car and choked her.
The lawsuit also claimed LaBeouf kept a loaded gun in their bedroom, required her to sleep naked, and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease.
Another former girlfriend, stylist Karolyn Pho, also accused LaBeouf of abuse in the same lawsuit, claiming he pinned her to a bed and head-butted her while drunk.
At the time, LaBeouf responded to the allegations by telling The New York Times: “I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years.”
The Current Lawsuit’s Main Arguments
The new lawsuit seeks a court order to block LaBeouf from enforcing the NDA provisions. Unlike her previous case, FKA Twigs is not asking for money damages. Her attorneys made this clear in the filing, stating the case is about “justice and law, not money”.
“She 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 complaint states.
The filing also points out that LaBeouf has spoken publicly about their relationship while trying to silence her. “LaBeouf has repeatedly brought up his relationship with Ms. Barnett—on his own and without being directly asked about her—materially breaching the very confidentiality provisions that he had just contended were fully enforceable against Ms. Barnett,” the lawsuit claims.
Rosengart added in a statement: “This action was taken in response to Mr. LaBeouf’s attempt to bully and intimidate FKA Twigs through a frivolous and unlawful secret arbitration he filed against her in December in which he sought to extract money from her. We are pleased to have obtained the dismissal of that case earlier this month, and to her great credit and on behalf of other survivors as well, twigs refuses to be bullied anymore.”
LaBeouf’s Response and Other Legal Troubles
LaBeouf’s legal team pushed back against the new lawsuit. Holley said in a statement: “When Ms. Barnett and Mr. LaBeouf both decided to resolve their differences and move on with their lives, no one forced her or ‘bullied’ her to stay silent. As a woman with agency, she decided to settle the case and accepted money to dismiss her lawsuit.”
Holley also noted that the original sexual battery claim “was disputed, as were the other claims made in Ms. Barnett’s lawsuit”.
LaBeouf is facing other legal issues as well. In February 2026, he was arrested in New Orleans on two counts of misdemeanor battery following an altercation during Mardi Gras. A judge ordered him to enroll in substance abuse treatment, undergo weekly drug testing, and post a $100,000 bond as conditions of his release.
He was later granted permission to travel to Rome for his father’s baptism.
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What This Case Means for NDAs in Abuse Cases
Legal experts say this case could have broader implications for how NDAs are used in sexual misconduct settlements. The STAND Act was specifically created to prevent situations exactly like the one FKA Twigs describes—where survivors are forced into silence as a condition of settling their cases.
The lawsuit notes that LaBeouf dropped his arbitration demand in February, but has refused to acknowledge that the NDA provisions are illegal and unenforceable under California law.
FKA Twigs has been open about her journey of healing since the relationship ended. In a 2024 interview with British Vogue, she said: “I think naively I thought it would be like any other break-up, that I’d be sad for six months to a year, and then one day I’d wake up and everything would be fine. But the fact is being abused changes the whole of your nervous system.”
The court will now decide whether the NDA from the 2025 settlement can be enforced or if it violates California law designed to protect survivors.
Also Read: Kandi Burruss Reveals Why Ex-Husband Todd Tucker Made Their Divorce Filings Public
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