IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Shia LaBeouf denies assault allegations in lawsuit filed by ex FKA twigs

FKA twigs has sued the actor for sexual battery, assault and "relentless abuse.”
The British singer FKA twigs accused the "Transformers" actor in a lawsuit of repeatedly assaulting her and inflicting emotional distress.
The British singer FKA twigs accused the "Transformers" actor in a lawsuit of repeatedly assaulting her and inflicting emotional distress.Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

After his ex-girlfriend FKA twigs filed a lawsuit against him claiming he was abusive, actor Shia LaBeouf denied the accusations on Wednesday through his legal team.

FKA twigs, 32, who was born Tahliah Barnett, began dating LaBeouf after the two filmed “Honey Boy” in 2018.

In December 2020, she filed the lawsuit accusing LaBeouf of sexual battery, assault and "relentless abuse,” according to court documents obtained by TODAY.

Barnett accused the actor of intentionally inflicting emotional distress, battery and gross negligence. She claimed he kept a loaded gun by the bed and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease. Her lawsuit also detailed alleged abuse suffered by Karolyn Pho, a stylist and former girlfriend of LaBeouf.

In response to Barnett’s lawsuit, LaBeouf filed documents on Wednesday that deny Barnett’s accusations “generally and specifically” and ask the court to dismiss Barnett’s suit and pay for his legal fees. LaBeouf’s response, obtained by TODAY, claims Barnett didn’t “suffer any damages” and that her accusations are invalid “because none of the acts alleged were based on sex and/or the conduct was not sexual."

In an interview with the The New York Times published late last year, Barnett said her time with LaBeouf was the “worst thing” she’d ever gone through.

"I don’t think people would ever think that it would happen to me. But I think that’s the thing. It can happen to anybody,” she said.

LaBeouf also previously denied Barnett’s claims, telling the Times in December that "many of these allegations are not true." However, he felt Barnett and Pho should have "the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done."

"I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations," he told the outlet. "I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say."

A spokesperson for Creative Artists Agency, which no longer represents LaBeouf, told TODAY via email that LaBeouf "made a decision to seek inpatient help and support, and as part of that stepped away from the industry." They confirmed LaBeouf has been in treatment for over a month.

LaBeouf’s attorney Shawn Holley declined to comment on Wednesday. The next hearing in the case is slated for June 16.