FKA twigs has withdrawn her lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf after the actor agreed to terminate a non-disclosure agreement that her legal team described as unlawful. The singer, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, dropped the case on Tuesday 6 October. The withdrawal was first reported by Rolling Stone. The decision ends the second legal fight between the pair in six years.
The dispute dates back to 2020, when twigs sued LaBeouf, her former partner, accusing him of relentless abuse during their relationship. Her claims included sexual battery, assault and the infliction of emotional distress. After a series of delays, the pair settled out of court in 2025, and that settlement came with the NDA at the centre of the latest case. The case drew wide attention because of the detail in the allegations and the profile of both parties.
Earlier this year twigs filed a second suit, arguing that the agreement was designed to stop her speaking about her own experience of sexual assault and abuse, and about those issues more widely. Her lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, said it breached the STAND Act, a law that prohibits agreements meant to silence survivors of sexual assault. The suit also claimed the settlement had been structured so that LaBeouf could avoid a public jury trial and potentially large damages. The STAND Act argument put the case at the centre of wider debate about how settlements can limit what survivors are able to say in public.
Rosengart said his client was not seeking money and had nothing to gain financially or professionally from the case. He said the outcome left her free to talk about what happened, to advocate for women with fewer resources and to back charities of her choosing, adding that “Twigs stood up for something larger than herself”. In 2025, LaBeouf had reportedly demanded a large sum from twigs, alleging she had broken the NDA by saying she did not feel safe. An arbitration case he brought in December 2025 was later dismissed.
LaBeouf has repeatedly denied the abuse allegations. In a statement in 2020, he acknowledged a history of alcoholism and aggression and said he was ashamed of hurting people close to him, while also saying many of the allegations were untrue. With the NDA now terminated, no further court proceedings between the two have been reported, and twigs has not yet said how she intends to use her new freedom to speak. Readers affected by the issues raised can find support through Rape Crisis in the UK and RAINN in the US.
