5 Things To Know About FKA Twigs’s Assault Case Against Shia LaBeouf

A date has been set for Shia LaBeouf to stand trial for his alleged abuse of his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs.

According to Rolling Stone, the trial will begin on April 17, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Here are five things to know about this upcoming court case.

The lawsuit accuses LaBeouf of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress

Twigs, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, says the Even Stevens actor assaulted her verbally and physically during their relationship in 2018. The two met while working on the movie Honey Boy, according to Rolling Stone.

The lawsuit claims LaBeouf, 35, tried to choke Barnett, 34, on multiple occasions. She accuses him of grabbing her to the point of bruising and knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease in February 2019.

In an interview with the New York Times, the “cellophane” singer said she initially did not go to authorities because she did not think anyone would believe her.

Eventually, through therapy, she left the relationship and spoke up against the alleged abuse, telling the New York Times, “I’d like to be able to raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency.”

Barnett initially sued LaBeouf in December 2020

The April 2023 court date comes nearly a year and a half after Barnett initially filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Barnett is seeking an undisclosed amount and said she will donate a portion to domestic violence causes, according to Page Six.

According to Barnett’s attorneys, the UK-born singer and actress initially wanted to resolve the matter “privately” on the condition that LaBeouf received “meaningful and consistent psychological treatment,” Reuters reported.

“Since he was unwilling to agree to get appropriate help, Ms. Barnett filed this suit to prevent others from unknowingly suffering similar abuse by him,” Barnett’s attorney said.

“What I went through with Shia was the worst thing I’ve ever been through in the whole of my life,” Barnett told the Times. “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.”

Another woman has come forward accusing LaBeouf of similar abusive behavior

The Times spoke with Karolyn Pho, an ex-girlfriend of LaBeouf, who reported similar abuse used in Barnett’s lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, LaBeouf once drunkenly pinned Pho to a bed and headbutted her until she bled.

“So much goes into breaking down a man or woman to make them okay with a certain kind of treatment,” Pho told the Times.

LaBeouf admitted to alcoholism and abuse in the past, but denied some of the allegations

In a statement to the New York Times, which broke the story of the lawsuit, LaBeouf said, “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. 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.”

In a separate email to the newspaper, however, he said “many of these allegations are not true,” but owed the women “the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done.”

LaBeouf has a history of run-ins with the law and has sought treatment for alcoholism

According to Page Six, LaBeouf has been arrested several times on charges, that have since been dismissed, ranging from assault and disorderly conduct.

In 2015, Entertainment Tonight obtained a video of him arguing with his girlfriend at the time, actress Mia Goth. Earlier this year, the on-again, off-again couple welcomed a baby into the world, according to the Daily Mail.

In the video, LaBeouf said, “this is the kind of thing that makes a person abusive.”

LaBeouf is also caught on video saying “if I’d have stayed there, I would’ve killed her,” referring to his fight with Goth.

In 2020, LaBeouf told the Times he was both in therapy and “a sober member of a 12-step program.”

“I am not cured of my PTSD and alcoholism," LaBeouf said, “but I am committed to doing what I need to do to recover, and I will forever be sorry to the people that I may have harmed along the way.”