FKA twigs is back in a Los Angeles courtroom fight with Shia LaBeouf, this time targeting the fine print in their settlement. On Wednesday, she filed a new lawsuit asking a judge to declare the nondisclosure provisions in their agreement illegal and unenforceable under California law, arguing the deal goes far beyond standard confidentiality and works to muzzle survivors. The filing lands after months of legal sparring between the two, and while LaBeouf is already tied up in a separate criminal case in New Orleans.
In a complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Tahliah Debrett Barnett, known professionally as FKA twigs, asks the court to stop LaBeouf from enforcing parts of the settlement that she says violate California's Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure (STAND) Act. Her attorney wrote that "This is a case about justice and law, not money," according to the filing reported by PEOPLE.
Where the case started
Barnett first sued LaBeouf in December 2020, accusing him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress. The pair eventually reached a private settlement, and Barnett moved to dismiss the suit in July 2025, The Associated Press reported. The details of that deal have stayed under wraps, and the new complaint argues that any sweeping gag on talking about alleged abuse collides with California law.
How the fight reignited
According to the filing, things heated up again when LaBeouf's side launched an arbitration demand in December, claiming Barnett had breached the settlement and owed him money. Barnett's complaint characterizes that move as an attempt to intimidate survivors, as reported by Cleveland.com. Instead of asking for damages, she is seeking a court ruling that the nondisclosure language is void, along with an order blocking LaBeouf from trying to enforce it at all.
LaBeouf's other legal troubles
The NDA battle is unfolding while LaBeouf faces a different set of problems in Louisiana. He was arrested in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and charged with multiple counts of simple battery, and a judge later ordered him into substance-abuse treatment and set bond, according to reporting by The Guardian. Those criminal proceedings are still underway, adding a highly public courtroom backdrop to a dispute that began behind closed doors.
Why California law matters
California has spent the last several years tightening the reins on NDAs in sexual misconduct cases. The 2018 STAND Act and the 2021 Silenced No More Act restrict settlement terms that would stop victims from sharing factual information about abuse. Legal analysts say those laws were written to curb exactly the kind of secrecy Barnett is now contesting, and her complaint gives courts a chance to test how far those protections reach into private settlements, according to analysis from Ogletree Deakins.
What’s next
Barnett is asking the Los Angeles Superior Court for swift relief: a declaration that the NDA provisions are illegal and an injunction blocking any attempt to enforce them. PEOPLE reports that LaBeouf dropped an arbitration demand earlier this year, but the new filing argues those efforts fit into a broader pattern that could discourage other survivors from speaking up.
However, the judge rules, survivors' advocates and attorneys will be watching closely. They argue California's recent laws were meant to stop powerful parties from using private agreements to bury abuse allegations. A decision in Barnett's favor could trim back the reach of confidentiality clauses and quietly rewrite how high-profile settlements are drafted in the future.
