Shia LaBeouf’s red carpet return criticised after alleged FKA Twigs abuse

Shia LaBeouf’s red carpet return has been criticised this week following his alleged abuse towards FKA Twigs.

LaBeouf returned to the red carpet in Cannes to promote his new film, Megalopolis, from director Frances Ford Coppola.

• READ MORE: FKA Twigs on the cover: “There are so many sides to me that the world hasn’t seen yet”

FKA Twigs was previously in a relationship with the actor, and after their split came forward with accusations of abuse – citing physical and verbal abuse, sexual battery and emotional distress.

She first filed the lawsuit in 2020, and stated that LaBeouf was a danger to women and had slammed her into a car, tried to strangle her and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease.

His lawyers responded at the time by saying he did not cause her harm, and the actor has said he denied “each and every allegation” raised against him.

On social media, his decision to return to the red carpet at Cannes promoted criticism and a flurry of Tweets. One user re-quoted an article that asked: “Is anyone cancelled at Cannes?” while another asked: “Why is Cannes so obsessed with redeeming men accused of abuse and sexual assault?”

Another accused the actor of treating Cannes like a “redemption tour” while abuse claims lingered, while a number of others simply used red carpet footage as a means to remind others of the charges and upcoming trial.

In an interview with Vogue in March, Twigs recalled how experiencing abuse can have an impact on physical health, as well as emotional.

Speaking about the split, she told the outlet that she expected her separation from LaBeouf to “be like any other break-up” and thought “I’d be sad for six months to a year, and then one day I’d wake up and everything would be fine.”

“But the fact is being abused changes the whole of your nervous system,” she added, also going on to explain that the relationship has made her “‘window of tolerance is now much smaller than it used to be”.

“My body manifests stress in quite extreme ways – it really shows me when it’s upset,’ she explained, also saying that she has learned to be “very compassionate with myself”, and listen to her body to help her “get better”.

Although LaBeouf has consistently denied the allegations raised against him by Twigs – real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett – in a past interview with The New York Times he did recall how his behaviour has resulted in him “hurting” those around him.

“I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalisations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years,” he said. “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.”

The trial between the two will take place on October 14, 2024 after being postponed. According to notes from the filing, the trial has been postponed various times due to conflicts within FKA Twigs’ schedule and LeBeouf’s “entertainment projects.” It was also noted that one of Twigs’ lawyers would have been on maternity leave during November 2023.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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