Sia shares mental health struggles after 'Music' backlash, says Kathy Griffin 'saved my life'

Sia says Kathy Griffin helped her navigate the backlash following her 2021 movie "Music" that impacted her mental health.

The movie, which Sia wrote and directed, outraged the autism community for her casting of Maddie Ziegler, a neurotypical actress, in the role of acharacter with autism, as well as showing scenes where the character is being restrained.

Sia says she grew close to Griffin, who faced similar outrage following a 2017 photo shoot where the comedian held a mask of former President Donald Trump covered in blood-red ketchup.

"I was suicidal and relapsed and went to rehab," Sia said in a New York Times profile of Griffin, published Wednesday. "She saved my life."

Sia's representative declined to comment when USA TODAY reached out.

Sia's movie angers the autism community:'I don't even know where to start'

Griffin, 61, also told the Times she invited Sia to dinner at Craig's, a West Hollywood restaurant that is a favorite of paparazzi, to attempt to change the narrative. 

Kathy Griffin:Comedian talks Hollywood exile following Donald Trump mask photo

Sia accepted. Last November, the two were pictured together in photos that ran in The Daily Mail. 

"We were joking that we were on ‘Survivor: Hollywood,' " Sia told the Times.

The 46-year-old singer-songwriter faced a severe outcry following the release of "Music" in early 2021, which led her to delete her Twitter and add a disclaimer to the beginning of the movie.

In the film, Music (Ziegler) is a young autistic woman who falls under the care of her half-sister Zu (Kate Hudson) after her grandmother dies (Mary Kay Place). Zu learns all about Music's daily routine with the help of Music's neighbor Ebo (Leslie Odom Jr.).

Advocates of the autistic community voiced several problems in the movie, with specific criticisms around its depiction of so-called calming restraints.

The film "doesn’t just promote harmful stereotypes about autistic people – it shows restraints that have killed members of our community as necessary and loving acts," said Zoe Gross, Director of Advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said in a statement at the time. "This film should never have been made, and it shouldn’t be shown."

Sia initially backed her decision to cast a neurotypical actress to play an autistic character when called out on social media, saying then-18-year-old Ziegler poured her heart into the role of Music, careful to portray the character in a respectful way. The two previously worked together on Sia's single "Chandelier."

But she ultimately reversed course and apologized, saying scenes showing restraints would be removed "from all future printings," and that she "listened to the wrong people and that is my responsibility, my research was clearly not thorough enough, not wide enough." 

Previously:Sia, facing backlash from autism community, adds disclaimer to 'Music,' deletes Twitter

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.

Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

Contributing: David Oliver