Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Sia Reveals She's On The Autism Spectrum Two Years After Film Sparked 'Ableist' Backlash

Sia
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Daily Front Row

The singer was hit with backlash for her 2021 film 'Music' for casting Maddie Ziegler, who is neurotypical, as an autistic girl, among other criticisms.

Sia just revealed she is on the autism spectrum, the revelation coming two years after the singer faced heavy criticism for her film Music.

To refresh your memory, the 2021 film, which flopped at the box office, followed the story of Zu, a newly sober woman played by Kate Hudson, who became the legal guardian of her sister Music, a nonverbal autistic character.


The role of Music was performed by Sia's regular long-time collaborator Maddie Ziegler, who is nuerotypical, sparking ableist backlash claiming an actor with autism should have been cast.

At the time Sia's response to actors with autism was:

"Maybe you're just a bad actor."

@HelenAngel/Twitter

The "Chandelier" singer additionally noted:

“I mean, it is ableism, I guess, as well, but it’s actually nepotism, because I can’t do a project without [Ziegler]. I don’t want to."
“I wouldn’t make art if it didn’t include her."

Aside from the casting decision, the film was also blasted for including harmful misconceptions surrounding the autism community, specifically in regards to leaked scenes prior to the film's release showing Music being restrained - a form of restraint that has killed children in the past - after experiencing an episode.

Eventually, Sia addressed the controversy and promised fans in a series of tweets:

“I promise, have been listening. The motion picture MUSIC will, moving forward, have this warning at the head of the movie:"
“MUSIC in no way condones or recommends the use of restraint on autistic people. There are autistic occupational therapists that specialize in sensory processing who can be consulted to explain safe ways to provide proprioceptive, deep-pressure feedback to help w meltdown safety.”

Just this week while on an episode of Rob Has a Podcast, Sia shared her own diagnosis, telling the hosts she is on the autism spectrum and also in recovery.

“I felt like for 45 years I was like, ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on’ and only in the last two years have I become fully, fully myself.”

You can listen below.

And while people on social media acknowledged Sia's diagnosis, they noted it doesn't excuse the decisions she made for the film nor does it count as an apology.










@ringsofbower/Twitter

@crescenthrts/Twitter

Sia revealed on the podcast her diagnosis has allowed her to feel "human."

“Nobody can ever know and love you when you’re filled with secrets and … living in shame, and when we finally sit in a room full of strangers and tell them our deepest, darkest, most shameful secrets, and everybody laughs along with us, and we don’t feel like pieces of trash for the first time in our lives, and we feel seen for the first time in our lives for who we actually are, and then we can start going out into the world and just operating as humans and human beings with hearts and not pretending to be anything.”

More from Entertainment/music

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
DRM News/YouTube

Trump Ripped After Going Off On Bonkers Rant About Room's Decor During Cabinet Meeting

During Tuesday's cabinet meeting while the press was in attendance, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump gave a rambling stream of consciousness speech that went all over the place before landing on paint versus gold leaf, leading people to again question the POTUS' mental acuity amid a notable cognitive decline.

In a disjointed monologue about the decor in the cabinet room, Trump said he stole a grandfather clock from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and chose a painting of James Polk because the frame matched the frame around his favorite President—Andrew Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Eric Adams
@ericadamsfornyc/Instagram

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Roasted After Viewers Notice Awkward Detail In His 'Morning Routine' Video

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely mocked after he shared a video on social media of his "morning routine," with time stamps showing his activities—only for viewers to notice that a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of the video showed a very different time.

Adams jumped on the latest Instagram trend this week, sharing his version of a “morning routine” video with his followers. The trend, which has already begun to fade, typically features sped-up clips of people going through their early rituals—complete with edits, ambient music, and timestamp overlays.

Keep ReadingShow less