Shia LaBeouf Settles Lawsuit From FKA Twigs Over Illegal NDA

FKA Twigs has settled a lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf, who allegedly tried to leverage a nondisclosure agreement to bar her from discussing issues of sexual violence and sharing information about her experiences of alleged sexual abuse by the actor.

Mathew Rosengart, a lawyer for the singer-songwriter, told the court on Tuesday of a deal to resolve the case. Under the agreement, the nondisclosure agreement is void.

“Twigs stood up for something larger than herself, female survivors of sexual abuse,” Rosengart said. “This victory frees her to discuss her experience, advocate for other women who might be less privileged, and support the charitable causes of her choice.”

In a statement, Shawn Holley, a lawyer for LaBeouf, said the actor “wishes Twigs nothing but the best in her life and career and, to that end, has agreed to end their long-standing dispute.” She added, “Twigs has spoken about this matter for years and there is now nothing to prevent her from continuing to do so.”

The legal battle started when FKA Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, got an arbitration demand from LaBeouf’s legal team months after she settled her sexual battery lawsuit against the actor. He had claimed breach of contract for what he considered a violation of the deal’s terms over an interview in which she said, “I wouldn’t feel safe” with that chapter of her life with LaBeouf behind her.

The arbitration was later dismissed, but the settlement stemming from the 2025 settlement and subsequent legal action became the subject of a lawsuit from Barnett, who sought a court order blocking him form enforcing portions of the nondisclosure agreement.

In 2016, California barred terms in settlements that prevent the disclosure of factual information about sex offenses that could be prosecuted as felonies. Two years later in the wake of the #MeToo movement, lawmakers passed the STAND Act, which prohibits nondisclosure agreements in sexual assault, discrimination and sexual harassment cases that don’t rise to felony prosecutions. Its purpose is to deter secret settlements designed to keep sexual misconduct by wealthy and powerful people hidden.

But under the 2025 deal reached by Barnett and LaBeouf, the singer was restricted not only from disclosing information about the acts relating to her own experience of sexual abuse but also from discussing the issue in general terms. The lawsuit, which didn’t seek damages, claimed those terms violate the STAND Act.

“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,” Rosengart wrote Tuesday’s filing. “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.”

LaBeouf’s lawyers had maintained that the law doesn’t apply because Barnett only brought a claim for sexual battery and not sexual assault in her 2020 lawsuit.

The alleged violation of the settlement stemmed from a cover story of Barnett in The Hollywood Reporter. Asked whether she feels a sense of safety with the lawsuit behind her, the singer-songwriter answered, “No, I wouldn’t say I feel safe. I feel really passionate about being involved with organizations such as Sistah Space and No More, to help survivors in any way that I can. I think it’s less about me at this point and more about looking forward. Just, you know, moving on with my life.”

Barnett had accused LaBeouf of subjecting her to a “continuous stream of verbal and mental abuse” before escalating to physical violence. In one incident, LaBeouf slammed Barnett against his car and strangled her, according to the complaint.