FKA Twigs and Karolyn Pho have filed an explosive joint action complaint against Shia LaBeouf at the Los Angeles Superior Court on December 10, 2020. The document gives a searing account of the catalog of atrocities that both women allegedly experienced at the hands of LaBeouf during their respective relationships with him, including:
- Sexual battery.
- Battery.
- Assault.
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress.
- Gross negligence.
FKA Twigs’ Allegations Against Shia LaBeouf
FKA Twigs met LaBeouf on the set of the film Honey Boy and dated him over a nine month period from 2018 to 2019.
In her complaint, the 32-year-old singer and multiple award-winner claims that 34-year-old LaBeouf groomed her with a charm offense before subjecting her to “brutal” and “degrading” treatment, including:
- Non-fatal strangulation
- Constant criticism
- Symbolic violence
- Forcing her to follow an ever-changing rule book, and
- Deliberately infecting her with a sexually transmitted disease.
Karolyn Pho’s Allegations Against Shia LaBeouf
Karolyn Pho describes Shia LaBeouf’s behavior during their year long relationship as, “jealous, impulsive, and irrational.”
Pho alleges that on one occasion during her relationship with LaBeouf, he climbed on top of her and, “held her down by her arms, causing intense pain and leaving multiple bruises, and then head-butted her violently, causing her to bleed on the hotel bed.”
Pho dated him from 2010 to 2011.
Like Twigs, she alleges that LaBeouf is a perpetrator of abusive power and control.
California’s Coercive Control Legislation
Legislation prohibiting coercive control was signed into law in California by Governor Gavin Newsome. Senate Bill 1141 defines coercive control as:
- “Disturbing the peace of the other party” [with] conduct that destroys the mental or emotional calm of the other party, as specified.
- Coercive control […] is a pattern of behavior that unreasonably interferes with a person’s free will and personal liberty and includes, among other things, unreasonably isolating a victim from friends, relatives, or other sources of support.
According to the new bill, coercive control includes but is not limited to:
- Isolating the other party from friends, relatives, or other sources of support.
- Depriving the other party of basic necessities.
- Controlling, regulating, or monitoring the other party’s movements, communications, daily behavior, finances, economic resources, or access to services.
- Compelling the other party by force, threat of force, or intimidation, including threats based on actual or suspected immigration status, to engage in conduct from which the other party has a right to abstain or to abstain from conduct in which the other party has a right to engage.
- This section does not limit any remedies available under this act or any other provision of law.
The new legislation comes into force in California on January 1, 2021.
Sia Claims She Was Also Abused By Shia LaBeouf
Australian singer Sia tweeted her support of FKA twigs and spoke of her own experience of emotional abuse by Shia LaBeouf:
“I too have been hurt emotionally by Shia, a pathological liar, who conned me into an adulterous relationship claiming to be single. I believe he is very sick and have compassion for him AND his victims. Just know, if you love yourself – stay safe, stay away.”
I too have been hurt emotionally by Shia, a pathological liar, who conned me into an adulterous relationship claiming to be single. I believe he’s very sick and have compassion for him AND his victims. Just know, if you love yourself- stay safe, stay away.
LaBeouf appeared in the 2015 music video for Sia’s song Elastic Heart, which featured on her album Girls Of Pop, alongside Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler.
On December 13, 2020, FKA Twigs responded to Sia on Twitter:
“I’m sorry @sia this reinforces why I had to publicly share my experience. We need to support each other <3”
Update: Sia later shared in an interview with the Sunday Times that LaBeouf was surreptitiously dating her and FKA Twigs at the same time.
“It turns out he was using the same lines on me and Twigsy, and eventually we found out because we ended up talking to one another. Both of us thought we were singly dating him. But that wasn’t the case. And he was still married.”
Sia had previously cast LaBeouf in the role of an alcoholic father in the video of her 2015 hit single Elastic Heart.
A History of Abusive Behavior
Shia LaBeouf has been accused of violent behavior in the past. He has been arrested several times for drunk and disorderly behavior, and most recently in September 2020 for theft.
In 2017, LaBeouf pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction after he was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and public intoxication in Georgia.
In 2015, he was involved in a dispute with his then-wife, Mia Goth, in Germany and reportedly told his friends, “I don’t want to touch a woman, I don’t want to hit a woman, but I’m getting pushed,” He also told a local, “If I’d have stayed there, I would have killed her.” He was no charged after this incident.
He has previously issued manifold apologies for his behavior, which he attributes to his battle with substance dependency.
Photo by Bobo Boom.
Resources
- Benner, Katie and Ryzik, Melena. (2020, December 11) FKA twigs Sues Shia LaBeouf, Citing Abusive Relationship. The New York Times. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- Mier, Tomás and Nelson, Jeff. (2020, December 11) FKA Twigs Sues Shia LaBeouf for ‘Relentless’ Abuse. People. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
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