Margaret Qualley spoke out for the first time since abuse allegations against her ex-boyfriend, Shia LaBeouf, emerged at the end of last year, sending a message of support to singer FKA Twigs, who also dated the actor.
The musician, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit in December accusing LaBeouf of abusing her “physically, mentally and emotionally” during their relationship, which she later described as the “worst thing I’ve ever been through in the whole of my life.”
On Saturday, Qualley posted a photo of Twigs on the cover of Elle magazine’s March issue, simply writing, “Thank You,” in the caption after months of silence on the matter.
Her post was quickly flooded with comments, including from Qualley’s own mother, actor Andie MacDowell, who wrote, “Precious girls. Beloved.”
When news of the lawsuit first broke, Qualley and LaBeouf had reportedly been dating for several months, after first sparking romance rumors for appearing together in the NSFW music video for “Love Me Like You Hate Me.” The two were spotted kissing in the weeks following Twigs’ lawsuit, which also included details of alleged abuse suffered by Karolyn Pho, a stylist and former girlfriend of LaBeouf.
Qualley and LaBeouf didn’t last long, however, reportedly calling it quits in January, as others came forward about their troubling brushes with actor, who has since parted ways with his talent agency, CAA, and reportedly started receiving inpatient treatment.
Twigs, who has yet to publicly acknowledge Qualley’s post, said that by sharing her story she hopes to “help people through my experience.”
In the Elle interview, the “Cellophane” singer further elaborated on LaBeouf’s alleged abuse, discussing the “calculated, systematic, tricky, and mazelike” tactics she said the actor used to control her.
“It’s a miracle I came out alive,” she said, adding that recovering from their relationship has “been the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to do.”
“I honestly wish I could say that I found some strength and I saw this light. I wish I could say, ‘[It is] a testament to my strong character,’ or ‘It’s the way my mother raised me.’ It’s none of that,” she continued. “It’s pure luck that I’m not in that situation anymore.”
LaBeouf initially seemed to take responsibility for his actions, writing in a statement to The New York Times that he wasn’t in “any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel” and had no excuses for what he called his “alcoholism or aggression.”
But LaBeouf’s legal team has since hit back at the singer’s claims in a response to her suit, stating that the actor “denies, generally and specifically, each and every allegation” made against him.
“It just reminds me of some of the gaslighting that I experienced when I was with him,” Twigs said of LaBeouf’s response in a “CBS This Morning” with Gayle King this week. “The sort of taking some of the blame, but not all of it, and then denying it.”