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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Sia recalls being 'suicidal' when her film 'Music' faced backlash over portrayal of autism

Sia's directorial debut 'Music' for criticised for portrayal of autism

By Web Desk
January 20, 2022

Australian singer and song-writer, Sia recently spilled that she wanted to die when her directorial debut Music faced massive backlash over its portrayal of autism.

During her recent interview with New York Times, the Cheap Thrills hit-maker said that she “was suicidal and relapsed and went to rehab' when her directorial debut was released.

She also shared that Kathy Griffin ‘saved her life’.

The 46-year-old faced massive backlash over her casting a neurotypical actor, Maddie Zeigler in a lead role of a nonverbal autistic teenager.

The movie was was not welcomed warm heartedly by the autism community which was not impressed by the portrayal of autism in the film.

The backlash only grew severe when the movie landed two Golden Globe nominations in 2021.

Many actors also opened up to condemn the movie’s ‘harm to people’. Chloe Hayden also said that casting Zeigler in the movie is “undermining autistic people’s capabilities and making us out to be infants."

"Second, if your film is about inclusion, but you’re not making the actual film set inclusive, it completely belittles the entire point,” reported the outlet.