Please be aware that this article discusses domestic and racist abuse in detail

FKA Twigs is a leading figure in contemporary music with a Grammy nomination, a Mobo Awards win and two Brit Awards nominations under her belt. In 2019, she released her critically acclaimed second album, Magdalene. And she’s just announced that she made a third album in lockdown.

But recent headlines about the artist’s relationship with actor Shia LaBeouf have overshadowed all this. Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, is suing LeBeouf for alleged “sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress”. As originally reported by the New York Times on 11 December 2020, LaBeouf hasn’t commented on the actual lawsuit but did say he accepted that he had “been abusive to myself and everyone round me for years”.

Though it’s often easy to dismiss the reports and rumours about celebrity personal lives, Twigs’ recent revelations on her experiences of domestic abuse hold vital meaning that we need to pay attention to. That’s why the latest episode of the Grounded With Louis Theroux podcast is essential listening.

FKA Twigs’ words on abuse are painfully honest, but it’s so important we listen