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FKA Twigs opens up on 'horrific' racist abuse she received while dating Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson and FKA Twigs attend the L.A. Dance Annual Gala at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on December 10, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Robert Pattinson and FKA Twigs attend in December 2016. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

FKA Twigs has opened up on the "horrific" racist abuse she received while in a relationship with Robert Pattinson.

The singer, real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett, told Louis Theroux on his Grounded podcast that alongside hateful messages she was also sent pictures of monkeys.

The 33-year-old, who dated the Twilight star from 2014 to 2017, said she believed those sending the hate thought he was their "white Prince Charming" and that he should "be with somebody white and blonde".

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FKA Twigs attends The BRIT Awards 2020 at The O2 Arena on February 18, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Redferns)
FKA Twigs at the Brit Awards in February 2020 in London, England. (Jim Dyson/Redferns)

She said: "It was really deeply horrific and I think it was at a time where I felt like I couldn’t really talk about it.

“I feel like if I was going through it now I would be able to talk about it and do some good with it."

The Cellophane hitmaker added that she had worked "so hard" for her success, only be called the most "hurtful and ignorant" names.

Elaborating on the social media attacks, Barnett continued: "Whatever I did at that time people would find pictures of monkeys and have me doing the same thing as the monkey.

Robert Pattinson and FKA Twigs arrive at The Lost City of Z UK premiere on February 16, 2017 in London, United Kingdom.  (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)
Robert Pattinson and FKA Twigs arrive at The Lost City Of Z UK premiere in February 2017. (Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

“Say if I was wearing a red dress they would have a monkey in a red dress or I was on a bike they would find a monkey on a bike.”

Pattinson previously addressed the abuse while the pair were still together in 2015.

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In an interview with NME he said: "I was talking to my dad about this and I bet him that if he looked up Nelson Mandela’s funeral on YouTube, the first comment would be a racist one. And it was, with like a million upvotes.

FKA Twigs attends The NME Awards 2020 at the O2 Academy Brixton on February 12, 2020 in London, England.  (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
FKA Twigs at the NME Awards 2020 at the O2 Academy Brixton in February 2020. (David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

"What I don’t get is why. I think it’s because most normal people are not commenters – I’ve never met anyone who’s left a comment on anything. It’s just demons who live in basements."

Pattinson is now said to be dating model Suki Waterhouse, while Barnett is in a relationship with The 1975 frontman Matthew Healy.

With additional reporting by PA.

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