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Throwback: When Sia Faced Backlash Over Using Maddie Ziegler as Muse in Movie 'Music'
Sia faced immense backlash due to her insensitive portrayal of autism in her directorial debut Music released in 2021. Read on to know the details.
Sia's directorial debut, Music, attracted hundreds of negative reviews from critics and audiences, mostly due to the controversy that hovered over the feature’s storytelling around autism. The 2021 film depicts a nonverbal girl with autism named Music, who is taken in by her drug dealer and newly sober half-sister. Written by the singer and Dallas Clayton, it starred Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., and Maddie Ziegler.
The Little Wing singer faced criticism for how she decided to cast Ziegler, who is neurotypical, in the leading role of Music instead of the autistic girl that she had been working with prior to the production of the film. As per People, she said about the casting choice that it "wasn’t ableism—I mean, it is ableism, I guess, as well—but it’s actually nepotism because I can’t do a project without [Ziegler], and I don’t want to. I wouldn’t make art if it didn’t include her."
Ziegler gained notoriety through Dance Moms and then became Sia’s muse. She starred in several of her music videos and was present during many of her public appearances as well. Ziegler was only fourteen years old when music was recorded and released.
Some controversies arose in the reception of the Elastic Heart singer's artistic choices, which included Ziegler representing her throughout her performances, music videos, or other media. Ziegler spent a lot of time living with the musician, who referred to her as her second mother. Ziegler and the singer's comments about each other complicated their relationship’s professional and personal boundaries.
The other controversy that arose surrounding the film, Music, was the use of restraint scenes, which a number of viewers found disturbing. In an interview with The New York Times, the singer spoke of how the backlash affected her. She said, "I was suicidal and relapsed and went to rehab."
Netizens were divided over Sia's comments, with a number of people supporting her and sympathizing with her. However, some X users continued to criticize her, calling it a publicity stunt. One X user wrote, "Look, I feel bad that Sia was suicidal and I do hope she got the help she needed. However, this really feels like guilt-tripping and weaponizing your mental health because you didn’t like the reactions from audiences and critics."
Maddie Ziegler, who became Sia's muse, starred in her music videos Chandelier, Elastic Heart, and Big Girls Cry, as well as The Greatest, apart from the controversial movie Music.
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