SIA ISSUES MUSIC DISCLAIMER

Sia’s directorial feature debut, Music, will air with a disclaimer following the controversy surrounding Maddie Ziegler’s casting. Ziegler, a neurotypical actor, played a non-verbal autistic person in the film, which earned two Golden Globes nominations this week. “I promise, have been listening. The motion picture MUSIC will, moving forward, have this warning at the head of the movie,” Sia tweeted Wednesday, along with an apology. The warning states that Music doesn’t condone or recommend the use of restraint on autistic people. Sia wrote that all restraint scenes will be removed from future public screenings. She has defended her decision to cast Maddie, rather than an autistic teenager, on multiple occasions and previously insisted it was more “compassionate” to use a neurotypical actress. Music was nominated for a Golden Globe for best picture in the musical or comedy category, with star Kate Hudson also picking up a nod for best actress.