Sia Reveals She Originally Cast Shia LaBeouf In Her Movie, Music

Sia reveals that she had originally cast Shia LaBeouf in her upcoming controversial movie, Music. However, she switched to Kate Hudson. In an interview with Studio 10, the singer shared that Shia was supposed to play the character Zu, which is now played by Kate.

She revealed, “I was going to do a narrative film, and in fact, Shia LaBeouf was cast to play Kate’s character.” The singer eventually changed her mind after stumbling across a video of Kate. The actress was singing a Christmas Carol in the video which was posted on Instagram.

Sia explained, “I asked for a meeting with her, and she said she was born to do it. She could sing, she could dance, she could do it all.” She said she liked the tone of her voice and asked her if she would shave her head and she said yes. The movie is a musical-drama about an autistic girl who has been sent to live with her drug dealer half-sister after the death of her grandmother and also stars Maddie Ziegler as well as Leslie Odom Jr.

The singer will be directing and co-writing the movie as it marks as the first time she is doing this. Sia ditched her wig as she showed off her face with heavy makeup during her interview with Studio 10. She was wearing her hair loose in a casual wavy style and had accessorized her headband on her head.

Sia was asked why she chose to show her face during the interview to which she responded by saying she thinks when one is talking about feelings, one should be able to see someone’s eyes. The singer jokes that she was technically wearing a disguise and would not run to Target in her ensemble.

Sia Opens Up About Being Abused By Shia

In an interview with The New York Times, FKA Twigs opened up about the “relentless” physical and emotional abuse she faces while she was dating him. Soon after she revealed the information, Sia also shared her own stories about Shia who had starred in her 2015 music video, Elastic Heart.

He starred in the video along with the then 12-year-old, Maddie Ziegler. “I too have been hurt emotionally by Shia, a pathological liar, who conned me into an adulterous relationship claiming to be single,” she wrote in a tweet posted Saturday. The singer further added that she believes he is very sick and has compassion for him and his victims.

She also urged her fans to stay safe and wrote, “Just know, if you love yourself- stay safe, stay away.” The Chandelier singer further showed support for FKA Twigs and expressed how courageous it was of her and told her she was proud of her.

Autism rights activists have demanded Sia to cancel her upcoming movie, Music. As we previously reported, Sia’s movie has received major backlash after its trailer release.

The movie features Maddie Ziegler, who is seen in Sia’s music videos. She is the part of the movie as a nonverbal autistic teen. The movie also consists of activists and basically people on the autism spectrum. It received backlash for its portrayal of offensive stereotypes and visual effects.

Not just that, a petition was launched for the cancellation of the movie’s premiere. The petition was launched by Hannah Marshall who identifies as an autistic woman herself. Back till Tuesday, the petition had garnered over 500 signatures to cancel the film’s premiere.

Autism Activists Ask Sia To Cancel Her Movie

Hannah explained how offensive it is for her as an autistic individual herself and also for other autistic individuals. “As an autistic individual, I am asking that this film is canceled,” Marshall wrote on the fundraising page. “It is extremely offensive to myself and other autistic individuals. Sia has shown no remorse for her inaccurate and hurtful betrayal of the community.”

She further wrote how the movie will not have any major impact on history. Hannah added, “Canceling it will express that intolerance to neurodivergence is unacceptable in today’s society. Sia and her associates have additional avenues for funds; they will survive even if no money is made from this film.”

Many supporters have also come forward in the comments section of the petition to share their own experiences. A user shared that she is an autistic woman and she finds Sia’s movie extremely distasteful. She shared she also feels disappointed in how the singer handled the criticism she got for the same. Sia responded to the criticism she received for her directorial debut.

Sia Breaks Her Silence And Defends Her Movie

Disability activists called out the singer for using the phrase “special abilities” instead of “disabled” for people with autism. The singer also received immense backlash for casting a neurotypical actor to play the lead role as an autistic person.

Sia broke her silence and defended her upcoming new movie Music after receiving criticism over its casting. According to Variety, the movie will revolve around the story of Zu, who has a strained relationship with her family. She, later on, becomes the only guardian to her half-sister, Music. Her half-sister is a teenager on the autism spectrum.

However, when the trailer was launched, it did not go down well with people as they began to criticize. Viewers expressed their disappointment of finding Maddie Ziegler, Sia’s longtime collaborator, being cast as the autistic character instead of an actor who is autistic.

One user expressed their fury and wrote how unacceptable it is and that there can be no excuses. The user wrote that Sia should know better than “to allow able-bodied and neurotypical to represent the disabled community”.

Sia, however, responded to the backlash and explained that she had initially tried working with a beautiful young girl with a nonverbal spectrum. She explained that the actress found it stressful and unpleasant after which she cast her collaborator, Maddie.