Days before Christmas, we learned that Shia LaBeouf was dating Margaret Qualley, the 26 year old daughter of Andie MacDowell. Qualley and the Beef worked together on a project over the summer, and it seemed like they had been quietly dating for months before their big coming-out party as a couple over the holidays. Why the sudden eagerness to be pap’d all around LA? Well, their pap strolls came shortly after FKA Twigs sued Shia for emotional and physical abuse. Twigs told her story of abuse, and she spoke about her desire to get Shia into some kind of long-term treatment for his violence and psychological abuse of women. Interspersed with stories of other women in Shia’s orbit also describing his abuse and abusive tendencies, we were seeing stories about the state of Shia and Margaret’s relationship, including the story about how her parents are very concerned. Well, something finally got through to Margaret:
Shia LaBeouf and Margaret Qualley have called it quits, a source tells PEOPLE, as the Transformers actor faces allegations of abuse from his ex-girlfriend, singer FKA Twigs.
“They broke up on Saturday. They’re just in different places in their lives,” the source says of the pair who have recently been out seen together on several occasions.
Another source told PEOPLE the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood actress was aware of the “backlash” she received for seeing LaBeouf amid the lawsuit filed by singer FKA twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, accusing him of sexually and physically assaulting and battering her.
The first source says that Qualley’s main focus remains on her acting and she is “ready to get back to work.” She’s soon heading to Canada where’s set to begin filming a movie alongside Margot Robbie.
See, a lot of people are like “gossip bloggers are so mean, why are you even concern-trolling her, she’ll figure it out herself.” But I’m actually a big believer in exerting public pressure to get younger people to make better life choices. It sounds like Margaret didn’t even WANT to dump Shia, but she knew she was going to get sh-t for it in the gossip press (not to mention from her mom), so she was like “f–k it, I’ve got to dump him.” Some day, she’ll thank us. I’m so glad she got out of a relationship that would have 100% turned toxic and abusive, if it hadn’t already.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
“ main focus remains on her acting and she is ready to get back to work.”
GOOD. Better actresses than her have stifled their careers for the wrong man. And this would have been an extremely dangerous case of it!
The main problem with pressuring/shaming women in abusive relationships is that creating a dynamic where it’s “you and him vs. the world” is extremely alienating, isolating, and EXACTLY what the abuser wants. In fact, it’s the dynamic many of them strive to create from the beginning of the relationship. That’s why people who have been in DV relationships, who have received DV counseling or are counselors themselves, cringe to see that kind of shaming.
Absolutely.
This
Indeed, it doesn’t always work in real life. However, I do think it’s important to let your friend know of a red flag when you see it. Sometimes, they might not see what you are able to see. Just make sure you let them know you will always be there for them.
This is so true. I know someone whose daughter cut all her friends and family out of her life decades now, for an abusive man who convinced her to do it. It’s heartbreaking.
I’m really glad that didn’t happen here. Someone or something got through to this young woman, her friends or family or just the news of what his past victims went through, and she managed to extricate herself. I hope she’s safe, and I hope he gets help so he stops abusing people.
Great point, @nini. At this point, she has chosen two men (Pete Davidson and Shia) who are quite troubled. I worry a bit for her and for whatever is driving this within her. Glad she is getting some separation now, and hope she doesn’t return to him.
This.
Rather than be judged by you for “making terrible life choices”, they’ll pick the abuser.
+1 to this comment. I was talking to a friend yesterday that entered a relationship with a man who was “accused of dv & victimized” by his ex. It’s a hard line to walk discussing it with her, but I am so glad that I had the education to keep my focus on her future safety, staying someone she will go to, empathizing, pointing out red flags with care & not shaming her.
Agreed.
History shows us that “exerting public pressure to get younger people to make better life choices” does not work when dealing with coercive control.
It would not surprise me if she is still with him and the break-up is just for show in an attempt to rehabilitate or preserve her image.
Either that or she will get back with him again as she will feel sorry for him in the “us against the world” mentality so often fostered by abusers.
ITA about never using shaming or judgment to pressure a survivor into leaving an abusive relationship. I strongly recommend the book Men Who Hate Women & the Women Who Love them. Plus the Leslie Morgan Steiner Tedtalk (Why domestic violence victims don’t leave)
I’ve helped two womxn leave abusive men. That’s because I showed those womxn I was a safe harbour by listening to their distress & never telling them what to do.
We need more funding put into support networks like shelters, emergency funds, Helplines, accessible therapy, affordable healthcare, low income housing and education. Stop Shaming Abuse Survivors! Let’s focus on giving them material & emotional support to help them survive & feel loved. And give them somewhere safe to sleep & food to eat if/when they decide to leave.
Sounds like she’s been rescued. I was very very worried for her.
I’m actually surprised that she came to her senses. From the look of those photos (in just the last week) she cleary had the look of a young girl in the throws of LOOOOOOOVE.
Young girl? She’s 26.
Still, it seems like her clever mum laid down the law, and she listened. (Or a cheque was cashed by him).
I honestly don’t think they’re really broken up seeing as they were pictured together 3 days ago. I think she doesn’t want to deal with the career backlash she is getting. Also she did the pap walk right after fka twigs’ lawsuit so it’s not like she was unaware of or bothered by who he is. So I doubt anything has changed.
+1
+1
Good for her. Shia is toxic and until he gets help and does get better, every female on this planet should stay away from him.
Trying to imagine her working with Margot Robbie, while dating known abuser Shia. Bit of a stark contrast there.
$20 says they haven’t actually broken up, she just put this information out there for optics.
There was an article in the Hollywood Reporter this week about Olivia Wilde directing a video for Margaret’s sister as a favor and Shia entering into the mix and making his own edit (this is after he was dropped from the film Wilde is directing) – he was a total asshole to Wilde, it’s hard to imagine Qualley was anything but a cheering section for his “genius”. She probably sucks as a human being herself but good for her if she got rid of him.
From the Hollywood Reporter article:
He sent the cut over on a group email to which Wilde responded that she would be happy to take a look and would submit her cut shortly. The response apparently did not sit well with LaBeouf who responded again by suggesting that the correct response would have been to write thank you and that “we should go with this” in reference to the one he submitted. Per a source who saw the email, he also wrote: “Great jazz musicians know when not to play.”
Talk about a gigantic, full of himself asshole. Olivia should hire LeBeouf again just to fire him again for this.
Do you think that he will complain that he is the victim of a woke mob? 😜
What a choice. Continue to hang out with Shia, or go film a movie with Margot Robbie? Um….
I think her agent told her that the calls would be drying up once it became industry gossip that she may be knowingly exposed herself to 1) an abuser who refused to get help 2) an abuser who gave herpes to at least 1 industry colleague. “Falling in love” with that is craaaazy and no one wants to be around that professionally. Men may get the benefit of the doubt, but she won’t.
So no more roles, sponsorships, getting dressed by luxury and couture fashion houses.
She’s signaling that she needs those offers for roles to keep coming in. Who knows if they’re actually broken up.
I really don’t understand what these beautiful young ladies see in this dude. This dude looks he doesn’t shower often. Good for Margaret she is a good actress, she is going to be fine.
He gave an interview with his mom at least 5 or 10 years ago, about how he used to shit himself regularly. And he seemed to think it was cute, charming or hilarious. He told a story about how he was in karate class, did a kick, and a brown ball came flying out the leg of his pants and landed somewhere. And he was kicked out of the class. Ever since I read that it’s all I can think about anytime I see him. I wonder if he still does shit himself at will.
He is awful,but that can be a sign of being sexually abused as a child.
Something is wrong with her and she needs something.
Andie MacDowell left Hollywood to raise her children in peace and quiet. I hope that she was one of the voices that got through and convinced her daughter to make this good choice. It would have been heartbreaking if MacDowell, having done what she could to keep her kids away from toxic Hollywood, only to see one of them move to Hollywood to have a career, had to watch that girl fall prey to one of its abusers. I guess she did have to watch that happen but Qualley got out (hopefully) before she suffered serious damage from that man.
I’m glad she’s out of there, though you do have to be very cautious in how you try to reach those people. Abusers isolate their victims and then build them up mentally specifically so their victim thinks they’re the only one who has their back. It can be very hard to break down that mindset at that point. And that’s on top of the narrative we feed ourselves and that is emphasized by media that we could never be that person.
I would not be surprised if part of the reason for him dumping her was work related. Who wants to employ anyone who could bring potential personal drama to a set, especially with a partner with a history of abuse. I’m sure there was personal family pressure, but she ignored that. Anyway, hope she moved on and he deals with his issues, because no woman can fix that.