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Topics: Shia LaBeouf, Music, Film and TV, US News
Tom Fenton
A trial date has been set for singer-songwriter FKA Twigs in her sexual battery lawsuit against ex partner Shia LaBeouf.
The British pop star, real name Tahliah Barnett, previously accused LaBeouf of 'relentless abuse' in her original lawsuit, which was filed back in 2020.
Their tumultuous relationship first began back in 2018, when the pair met on the set of Honey Boy. The Hollywood actor, best known for his role in the Transformers franchise, is also accused of controlling behaviour and physical violence towards Barnett.
The trial for the civil case is set to get underway on 17 April 2023, Rolling Stone has reported.
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“The gaslighting has gone on long enough here and it’s time to hold Shia LaBeouf accountable,” Barnett’s lawyer Bryan Freedman revealed in a statement to the US publication earlier this week. “My client wants a trial date.”
Barnett first detailed many of her former partner's transgressions in a 2020 interview with The New York Times.
“What I went through with Shia was the worst thing I’ve ever been through in the whole of my life,” the 34-year-old told the paper.
“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.”
Barnett alleges that LeBeouf, 35, had a number of strict rules that she couldn't violate in his presence. This included not looking at, or speaking to other men, while he also supposedly demanded a specific amount of kisses throughout the day.
Additionally, Barnett said LaBeouf threw her to the ground outside a hotel they’d stayed at during Valentine’s Day in 2019, which she claims was just one of many violent outbursts during their time together.
“I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel,” LaBeouf wrote in response to The NYT article.
“I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalisations. 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.”
Contrastingly, in a February 2021 statement, LaBeouf denied inflicting 'any injury or loss' on Barnett, stating she is not 'entitled to any relief or damages whatsoever'.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247