FKA twigs
Birthdate – January 16, 1988 (36 Years Old)
Birthplace – Cheltenham, England, United Kingdom
FKA Twigs (birthname: Tahliah Debrett Barnett) is one of the most acclaimed recording artists in the “alternative” music movement but has also displayed her acting chops in feature films, debuting with her supporting role in actor-screenwriter Shia LaBeouf’s autobiographical drama directed by Alma Har’el, Honey Boy (2019), co-starring Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, Maika Monroe, and Natasha Lyonne, and which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before a theatrical and streaming release by Amazon Studios to a middling $3.4 million global gross.
FKA Twigs co-starred with Bill Skarsgård in the long-awaited reboot of the adaptation of James O’Barr’s 1989 comic book series, The Crow (2024), with Danny Huston, Josette Simon, and Sami Bouajila under Rupert Sanders’ direction, and released in the U.S. by Lionsgate Films (and by FilmNation Entertainment worldwide except for France and the U.K.).
FKA Twigs made her third feature acting performance in the New York-set Russian gang drama, Brighton Beach (2020), co-starring Costa Ronin and Barney Harris under co-writer David Gutnik’s direction, and released by Spotlight Pictures. FKA Twigs returned as an actor with renowned American filmmaker David Lowery in his pop music drama, Mother Mary (date to be announced), starring Michaela Coel, Anne Hathaway, Hunter Schafer, Kaia Gerber, Jessica Brown Findlay, and Sian Clifford, and distributed by A24.
FKA Twigs continued pairing her music career with her movie career with a co-starring role opposite Nicolas Cage and Noah Jupe in director/writer Lotfy Nathan’s French/U.K. co-production set in Roman Egypt, The Carpenter’s Son (date to be announced), with Souheila Yacoub and Isla Johnston, and co-produced by Anonymous Content/BlueLight/Cinenovo.
Personal Details
FKA Twigs was born and raised with the birthname of Tahliah Barnett in Cheltenham, England, and was raised by her English-born birth mother (dancer, gymnast) and British-Spanish-Jamaican-Egyptian stepfather. FKA Twigs is an only child. FKA Twigs attended the Catholic school, St. Edward’s School, where she performed in school productions while studying classical music and ballet.
FKA Twigs studied dance at the BRIT School in Croydon and then transferred to nearby Croydon College when she switched her disciplinary studies from dance to music. FKA Twigs has been in several relationships, starting with actor Robert Pattinson (2014 to 2017), actor Shia LaBeouf (2018-2019), musician Matty Healy (2020-2022), and director/photographer Jordan Hemingway, starting in 2023. FKA Twigs’s height is 5’ 2½”. FKA Twigs’s estimated net worth is $4 million.
Filmography
Honey Boy
Shy Girl (2019)
The Crow
Shelly (2024)
Some Facts About FKA twigs
What’s in a Name?: FKA Twigs has commented that her FKA moniker letters “don’t stand for anything in particular,” except that she wanted to have something that sounded “quite masculine and strong,” although some have speculated that it means “Formerly Known As.” FKA Twigs’s original performance nickname “Twigs” came from the tendency for her joints to crack, but she had to alter it when another music act named Twigs asked her to change her stage name.
Influences: FKA Twigs has noted that her primary influences are Marvin Gaye, Billie Holliday, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Classical: FKA Twigs studied classical ballet starting at age 7, which then started her fascination and love of classical music.
Lawsuit: FKA Twigs filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress, with a trial set for later 2024.
Awards
Nominee, Best International Act (U.K.), BET Awards (2015); Nominee, Best Music Video, Grammy Awards (2020); Three-time Nominee, Artist to Watch/Best Choreography, MTV Video Music Awards (2015, 2016, 2022); Winner, Best Alternative, MTV Europe Music Awards (2019); Two-time Winner, Special Achievement/Best Individual Video Performance, The Webby Awards (2018, 2020).
