FKA Twigs resolved her sexual battery lawsuit against ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf last year, but filed a new case this year challenging the non-disclosure agreement included in the original settlement. The motion to invalidate the NDA was triggered by an arbitration request from LaBeouf’s attorneys after Barnett told an interviewer she felt unsafe during their relationship.
Twigs’ legal team argued the NDA violated California’s Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure Act (STAND Act), stating it “unlawfully purports to restrict Ms. Barnett from disclosing any information about any acts relating to her own suffering of sexual abuse, assault, and battery by LaBeouf.” LaBeouf’s side initially defended the NDA, claiming the STAND Act’s protections only applied to “sexual assault” survivors, not “sexual battery” victims—a stance Twigs’ team called “preposterous.”
However, LaBeouf’s team recently reversed course, rendering the NDA “terminated and void,” according to a court filing obtained by Billboard. In response, Twigs dropped her lawsuit, stating it has “achieved its purpose.” She can now “discuss her own experience” and advocate publicly “without fear of reprisal,” said her lawyer Mathew Rosengart. He added, “This represents an important victory for the principle that women who speak out about sexual abuse should not be silenced by NDAs that contravene California law. FKA Twigs is proud to be able to continue speaking about her experience and advocating for other women, including those who may lack the resources to speak out and defend themselves.”