FKA twigs Drops Suit Against Shia LaBeouf After NDA Voided

FKA twigs dropped her lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf on October 6, 2026, after the actor agreed to void a non-disclosure agreement that barred her from speaking publicly about alleged sexual abuse during their relationship.

"Twigs stood up for something larger than herself, female survivors of sexual abuse," her attorney, Mathew Rosengart, said in a statement provided to Pitchfork.

The dismissal closes a legal battle that began as a fight over the terms of a settlement, not the abuse allegations themselves.

What did the original 2020 case allege?

Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, sued LaBeouf in 2020, accusing him of months of "physical, sexual, and mental abuse" during their relationship. The jury trial was scheduled to begin in September 2025 after years of delays. The parties settled before opening arguments.

According to the new lawsuit, obtained by Pitchfork, the settlement allowed "LaBeouf to avoid a public and embarrassing jury trial and potentially enormous damages for his conduct."

Why did twigs file again?

Rosengart claimed the settlement contained an "unlawful NDA" designed not only to stop "Ms. Barnett not just from disclosing information about her own survival of sexual assault and sexual abuse but...from discussing sexual assault and sexual abuse more generally and as an important topic of public concern."

Rosengart argued the NDA violated California's STAND Act, which forbids agreements meant to silence sexual assault survivors.

The complaint traced back to an arbitration demand LaBeouf filed in December 2025. He claimed twigs breached the settlement after she told The Hollywood Reporter that she didn't "feel safe" following their relationship. The arbitration was dismissed, and twigs then sought judicial remedy. She sought no financial compensation.

"Ms. Barnett...has nothing to gain from this case either professionally or financially," Rosengart said in the complaint. "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."

How did LaBeouf respond?

LaBeouf's attorney, Shawn Holley, contested the claims. "We are surprised by Ms. Barnett's complaint in which she claims that Mr. LaBeouf somehow 'bullied' her into signing the settlement agreement between them—a settlement agreement which followed a months-long mediation, presided over by one of the most respected mediators in the country, and during which Ms. Barnett was represented throughout by experienced counsel, Bryan Freedman," Holley said in a statement.

"Surely, neither Mr. Freedman nor the mediator, a former judge, would have allowed 'bullying' or accepted an agreement that 'violates California law and public policy,'" the statement continued.

What does the dismissal change?

With the NDA voided, twigs can now speak publicly about the alleged abuse — the exact outcome her second lawsuit demanded. The resolution also marks the second time in two years that the dispute has ended outside a courtroom, sparing both sides a public trial.