Enduring domestic abuse while dating Shia LaBeouf altered the mindset of singer, actress and model FKA twigs.
The UK native, who stars in upcoming supernatural superhero film The Crow, dated LaBeouf for nine months before splitting for good in June 2019. In Dec. 2020, FKA twigs accused the actor of "relentless abuse" throughout their relationship, filing a lawsuit against LeBeouf, where she alleged sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress.
"I'd like to be able to raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency," stated FKA twigs in a New York Times report. Although LaBeouf went on to deny many of the allegations, he also pointed at being cured of PTSD and alcoholism.
Despite LaBeouf battling his own demons, FKA twigs has struggled to mentally progress past the abuse, telling British Vogue in a new cover story: "I think naively I thought it would be like any other break-up, that 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."
Speaking with Chioma Nnadi, British Vogue's new head of editorial content, FKA twigs continued, "Because my 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."
Still on her path of healing, FKA twigs has found love with London-based photographer and cinematographer Jordan Hemingway and credits her rituals as the reason for easing her pain. "I've had to be very compassionate with myself and really listen to myself to get better. Now I want to challenge myself to know more about the simple, most pure and important things: love, nature, food, a nontoxic lifestyle, my body," she continued. "The path I'm on is not the pastel pink yoga leggings aesthetic."
Elsewhere in the interview, FKA twigs spoke about acting alongside Bill Skarsgård, who plays Eric Draven/The Crow in The Crow opposite twigs' Shelly Webster. "At the end of filming, I was actually nervous about leaving Eric behind," she said. "But then I do think I still have Shelly within me, which sounds weird. But you know what Shelly taught me? That my darkness is beautiful, like a black rose."
