Warning: This article discusses domestic violence and may be distressing for some readers.
FKA Twigs has detailed more of the alleged psychological and physical abuse she says she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf.
In an interview with Louis Theroux for his Grounded podcast, Twigs elaborated on her relationship with LaBeouf, having gone public with allegations of his "relentless abuse" - which included claims he knowingly gave her an STD - late last year.
Twigs said LaBeouf groomed her and "pushed her emotional and spiritual boundaries", becoming jealous if she spoke to anyone else.
"Being nice to a waiter, or being polite to somebody, that could be seen as me flirting or wanting to engage in some sort of relationship with somebody else, when I'm literally just ordering pasta… I was told that I knew what he was like and if I loved him, I wouldn’t look men in the eye. That was my reality for a good four months," she explained.
The 'Cellophane' singer also claimed LaBeouf gave her a "quota" of touches or looks or kisses that she had to meet, which was always changing.
"His previous partner apparently met this number very well, so I was inadequate compared to a previous partner of his. And I had to get the touches and the kisses correct, but I never… knew what the number exactly was," she said.
"He would start an argument with me, berate me for hours, make me feel like the worst person ever," Twigs added.
The singer-songwriter said she had been left with PTSD from LaBeouf's habit of allegedly waking her up in the early hours of the morning to accuse her of thinking about leaving him.
"It would be always… between like four and seven in the morning… for a long time anything that woke me up in the night, even if it was just my dog or a noise outside or needing to go to the bathroom, it would trigger an intense panic attack, because I was left with PTSD."
Twigs also referred to an incident first mentioned in her lawsuit against him, which she says set off a series of events that allowed her to finally leave the relationship.
"Driving back from the desert… he was threatening to crash the car unless I said I loved him, and he ended up basically strangling me at a gas station. And nobody did anything. That was a really low moment for me, because I felt like I would never be believed," she told Theroux.
Twigs said that same day, she called a helpline for abused women.
"Her reaction to me was so serious… Somebody was taking this so seriously and wants to get me somewhere safe. That was a really massive wake-up call. That’s the time when I realised that I need a lot of help to get out of this," Twigs said.
"A few months after I started that process, I was able to leave and leave for good," she explained, having spoken to her friends and a therapist about the situation.
LaBeouf responded to Twigs' lawsuit last year in a brief statement in which he claimed "many of these allegations are not true", but he said he had to "accept accountability" for the things he had done, admitting: "I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years."
"I'm not in any position to tell anyone how my behaviour made them feel," he wrote in an email to the Times.
"I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations... 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."
Where to find help and support:
- Shine (domestic violence) - 0508 744 633
- Women's Refuge - 0800 733 843 (0800 REFUGE)
- Need to Talk? - Call or text 1737
- What's Up - 0800 WHATS UP (0800 942 8787)
- Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland
- Youthline - 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
- Samaritans - 0800 726 666
- Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757
- Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
- Shakti Community Council - 0800 742 584
