FKA Twigs Says 'It Was Hard' to Process Her Alleged 'Abusive' Relationship with Shia LaBeouf

FKA twigs is speaking out about the alleged abuse she faced from Shia LaBeouf in an effort to help other victims of domestic violence.

In an Instagram post on Friday, the "cellophane" singer, 32, shared a screengrab of The New York Times report regarding her lawsuit against the Honey Boy actor, 34, writing a lengthy caption about her decision to speak out publicly.

"It may be surprising to you to learn that i was in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. it was hard for me to process too, during and after i never thought something like this would happen to me," she wrote. "Which is why i have decided it's important for me to talk about it and try to help people understand that when you are under the coercive control of an abuser or in an interpersonal violent relationship leaving doesn't feel like a safe or achievable option."

The singer, née Tahliah Debrett Barnett, added that she hopes that sharing her experience "can truly" help others not feel alone and "shed a light" on how others can help loved ones in abusive relationships.

"I understand it can be confusing and hard to know what to do," she wrote. "The statistics on domestically abusive and interpersonal violent relationships are shocking and during covid, i have been really anxious because i know many victims will have been literally trapped with their abusers with no relief or way to get out."

"My second worst nightmare is being forced to share with the world that i am a survivor of domestic violence," she added. "My first worst nightmare is not telling anyone and knowing that i could have helped even just one person by sharing my story."

The singer then tagged several charities and organizations aimed at helping victims of domestic violence, including Sistah Space, the National Domestic Violence Hotline and Freeform.

Her Instagram post comes after she spoke out to The Times about the alleged sexual, physical and emotional abuse she faced while in a relationship with LaBeouf.

She said LaBeouf would squeeze her arm to "the point of bruising" and didn't go to police at first to not harm his career and because she "thought her account would not be taken seriously." She also described several instances of physical aggression from the actor, including the day she attempted to move out when he carried her and locked her in a room at his home, also recounted in the lawsuit since obtained by PEOPLE.

The actor addressed the allegations in several emails to The Times by saying he was in no 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 wrote to the newspaper. "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."

In a different email, however, he said that "many" of the allegations were not true but explained he owed the women "the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done."

While a rep for LaBeouf did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, Twigs' attorney Bryan Freedman reiterated the allegations of abuse.

"We tried to resolve this matter privately on the condition that Mr. LaBeouf agree to receive meaningful and consistent psychological treatment," he told PEOPLE. "Since he was unwilling to agree to get appropriate help, Ms. Barnett filed this suit to prevent others from unknowingly suffering similar abuse by him."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.