Showing support. Following her brief romance with Shia LaBeouf, Margaret Qualley explained why she publicly stood by his ex FKA Twigs amid her lawsuit against him.
“It was important to me for her to know that I believe her — and it’s as simple as that,” Qualley, 26, told Harper’s Bazaar on Tuesday, September 28.
In December 2020, Twigs, 33, filed a lawsuit accusing LaBeouf, 35, of “relentless abuse” during their yearlong relationship, including sexual battery, assault and emotional distress.
In a statement to The New York Times, the Disney alum said that “many of these allegations are not true,” but accepted “accountability” for his actions and revealed that he was in a 12-step program and therapy.
“I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years,” he explained. “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.”
One week after the lawsuit was filed, LaBeouf was spotted kissing Qualley in LAX airport.
At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star’s mother, Andie MacDowell, was worried about her growing romance with the Even Stevens alum.
“If Shia so much as puts a foot out of line, she’ll come down on him like a ton of bricks,” the insider told Us, adding that MacDowell, 63, was “keeping an extremely close watch on the situation.”
The following month, Qualley and Labeouf broke up as his legal issues continued to make headlines. At the time, Twigs opened up about the abuse she allegedly endured during her relationship with the actor.
The musician detailed to Elle how Labeouf “had a gun by the side of the bed and was erratic” when they dated from 2018 until 2019.
“It’s a miracle I came out alive,” the “Cellophane” singer told the magazine in February. “If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water, that frog is going to jump out straight away. Whereas if you put a frog in cool water and heat it up slowly, that frog is going to boil to death. That was my experience being with [LaBeouf].”
Qualley reposted the magazine cover on Instagram, writing, “Thank you” as the caption.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
