07 December 2017
Newsdesk
Sia will stop working with 15-year-old Maddie Ziegler if the spotlight becomes too much for the dancer.
Maddie found fame at the age of eight with 2011 reality show Dance Moms, but she became more prominent after starring in Sia's 2014 music video for Chandelier. Their collaboration has continued ever since, with Maddie starring in other Sia videos and fronting her live performances while the singer stands to the side partially hidden underneath an oversized wig.
On Wednesday (06Dec17), The Guardian newspaper published a story which questioned whether it was a good idea for Sia to thrust a teenager into the spotlight when she has shunned it herself.
Sia shared the article, which was titled 'The Sia conundrum: if fame is so damaging, why pass it on to a child?', on Twitter and admitted she had asked herself that question and always makes sure Maddie is coping with the level of exposure she has.
"I do check in with Maddie weekly about whether she wants this, and assure her if she ever wants it to stop it stops," Sia tweeted. "It's a conversation we should all be having.
"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."
The 41-year-old further insisted she always tries to "choose the best" for Maddie and thinks it's an important conversation directors, agents and stage parents should be having about child stars.
"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," she concluded.
