‘Fully Myself’

Sia Reveals Autism Diagnosis Two Years After Movie Controversy

Sia received backlash for casting neurotypical Maddie Ziegler as an autistic character in her movie “Music.”

Two years after Sia received backlash for casting neurotypical Maddie Ziegler as an autistic character in her movie Music, Sia revealed that she herself is on the autism spectrum. “I’m on the spectrum, and I’m in recovery and whatever—there’s a lot of things,” the singer said Thursday on “Rob Has a Podcast.” She didn’t disclose when she was diagnosed, but implied that she just became “fully myself” rather recently. “For 45 years, I was like … ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on,’” she said. “And only in the last two years have I become fully, fully myself.” Sia was heavily criticized for her decision to cast Ziegler in Music two years ago—she said the scrutiny left her with scars she still feels today. The 47-year-old told The New York Times last year that she “was suicidal and relapsed and went back to rehab” after the fallout from the movie.