Sia has made it very clear that despite being a prolific songwriter and performer, she really hates being famous. So she’s often seen in public with her face covered in the kind of wig that makes her look like Cruella de Vil after a bad beauty academy blow-out. She’s passed off performing duties in music videos and live performances to former Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler. 15-year-old Maddie has appeared in six of Sia’s music videos, beginning with “Chandelier” when she was just eleven years old. She continues to tour with Sia as sort of the “face” of her brand. And Sia thinks that using a kid as the face of her brand isn’t bad.
The Guardian published a piece after a Sia concert in Sydney, Australia over the weekend in which she performed obscured, as usual, while Maddie danced for the crowd. The Guardian asked why Sia continues to push Maddie into the same spotlight she personally hates so much. Sia responded to the criticism on Twitter.
Sia would like everyone to know that she checks in with Maddie all the time. Sia also reminded everyone that Maddie was already famous before she started popping up in her music videos. This conversation about pushing Maddie into things she doesn’t want to do is made so weird by the fact that Sia’s Twitter picture is of Maddie as a Christmas doll.
This article poses a question I have asked myself often. I do check in with Maddie weekly about whether she wants this, and assure her if she ever wants it to stop it stops. It's a conversation we should all be having. Not just myself but all directors, stage parents and agents.
— sia (@Sia) December 6, 2017
With their children, clients, charges. Maddie was already famous when I discovered her, but I have certainly expanded her exposure and feel responsible for that. I feel very protective of her and my goal is to empower her in whatever choices she makes. Some would argue a teenager
— sia (@Sia) December 6, 2017
Can't or shouldn't be charged with making sound choices for themselves and so I do try to choose the best for her always. But I think this is an important conversation https://t.co/0k6bQ8EsvT
— sia (@Sia) December 6, 2017
What I learned from Maddie is that fame affects her differently than how it affected me. I can only trust that she is telling me the truth. If that changes, we stop.
— sia (@Sia) December 6, 2017
Anyone with even the vaguest knowledge of child stars knows that asking about the potential effects of kids + fame is a reasonable question. And Maddie seems fine I guess? I don’t know. But if and when that day comes that Maddie tells Auntie Sia that she doesn’t want to interpretive dance in a dirty beige bodysuit anymore, I wonder what Sia will do? I hope she doesn’t pull a Fresh Prince and try to pass of a New Maddie as the Old Maddie. You can reuse the wig and the bodysuit, but you won’t be fooling anyone, Sia.
Pic: Wenn.com