Sia Was “Suicidal” After Backlash Over Her Casting Maddie Ziegler As An Autistic Person In “Music

Sia Was “Suicidal” After Backlash Over Her Casting Maddie Ziegler As An Autistic Person In “Music"

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When one person tweeted, “Several autistic actors, myself included, responded to these tweets. We all said we could have acted in it on short notice. These excuses are just that — excuses. The fact of the matter is zero effort was made to include anyone who is actually autistic,” Sia simply replied, “Maybe you’re just a bad actor.”

Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler Grapple With Grief in Billie Eilish-Backed Trailer for ‘The Fallout’

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On Thursday, HBO Max released the trailer for The Fallout, a film about two teenage girls grappling with the grief of surviving and losing classmates in a school shooting.

The trailer, which opens with a trigger warning, sees Vada (Jenna Ortega) and Mia (Maddie Ziegler) meeting in a school restroom while a shooting erupts in the hallways. As the haunting vocals of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over” play in the background, the two teens bond over their trauma and heal after surviving the massacre.

“Did you have like the craziest nightmares last night?” Vada asks Mia in one scene. “You have to be able to sleep to have nightmares,” Mia responds.

The Fallout marks the directorial debut for Megan Park. “I hope viewers leave reminded that this is not a problem of the past,” she tells Rolling Stone. “I also hope it’s a reminder that grieving isn’t a linear process and although trauma may never fully leave us, there is always a way forward.”

Park put eight-time Grammy winner Finneas in charge of composing the film’s score. “Working with Finneas was very easy. He’s an incredible talent and although this was the first film he had scored, he clearly understood the process and had a strong vision,” Park says. “He delivered a unique soundtrack that not only supports the film tremendously but is such a beautiful listen on its own.”

As for Ziegler, who got her start on Dance Moms and recently starred in West Side Story, she spoke to Today about working with Park. “It’s so cool to be part of a female-led movie,” she said. “This message needs to be brought up way more and I’m glad it’s being brought to the forefront.”

The film premiered at last year’s South by Southwest Film Festival and earned two awards, while its director, Park, received the Brightcove Illumination Award for her work.

The Fallout — which also stars Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, and Shailene Woodley — premieres on HBO Max on Jan. 27. Watch it here.

Sia reveals she entered rehab after backlash to ‘Music’ film

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By Marianne Garvey

Sia revealed that the backlash following her choices in her feature directorial debut, “Music,” left her struggling with her mental health and she entered rehab as a result.

The singer faced criticism from some advocates for its depiction of autism and for casting dancer Maddie Ziegler, who is not on the autism spectrum, to play Music Gamble, a nonverbal autistic teenage girl, in the film. Sia and Ziegler are longtime collaborators who worked on “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart” together.

The film garnered a number of Golden Globe nominations in February 2021, but also harsh reviews. Sia said she was deeply affected by the backlash and apologized on social media at the time.

Sia revealed that it was Kathy Griffin who helped her, after facing her own media crisis in 2017.

In a new New York Times profile on Griffin, Sia credited the comedian with saving her life.

“I was suicidal and relapsed and went to rehab,” the singer said. “She saved my life.”

She added that Griffin invited her to dinner at a paparazzi heavy restaurant in Hollywood last November, where the two could get photographed together and create some positive buzz.

The-CNN-Wire

What to watch on Friday: ‘Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock’ on Apple TV Plus

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Nancy Drew (CW at 9) Nancy looks for a missing person targeted by Temperance, who also places a hex on the children of the youth center; the Frozen Hearts mystery is nearly solved, but a reversal puts the Drew Crew in danger.

Sia reveals she entered rehab after backlash to ‘Music’ film

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(CNN) Sia revealed that the backlash following her choices in her feature directorial debut, “Music,” left her struggling with her mental health and she entered rehab as a result.

The film garnered a number of Golden Globe nominations in February 2021, but also harsh reviews. Sia said she was deeply affected by the backlash and apologized on social media at the time.

Sia revealed that it was Kathy Griffin who helped her, after facing her own media crisis in 2017.

In a new New York Times profile on Griffin , Sia credited the comedian with saving her life.