Sia reveals autism diagnosis: “I have fully become myself”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Disney is to close its six remaining linear TV channels in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea as the conglomerate puts a greater emphasis on direct-to-consumer streaming. The channels concerned are National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Star Chinese Movies, Star Chinese Channel, Star Movies and Star World. Linear services will end from September in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Korea, and by December in Taiwan. The group expects to retain a streamlined television portfolio with channels in Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand for the time being.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong icon Johnnie To will head the jury of the sixth edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) next month. Other jurors include: Truong Ngoc Anh from Vietnam, Ryuichi Hiroki from Japan, Zizan Razak from Malaysia, and Eric Khoo from Singapore. The event will open with the world premiere of “Eraser,” directed by Mark Lee See Teck. The Malaysian film features the final on-screen appearance of the late Adibah Noor, a beloved Malaysian gem known for her timeless charisma. MIFFest will play “See You at the Rally,” directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Kanny Chang as its closing title. The festival is set to take place at LaLaport BBCC from July 23-29 and will play a total of 42 films from 15 countries.

Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme opens up about his cancer diagnosis.

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief U.S. film and television content captures 30% of viewing time in key Asia-Pacific territories, according to a new research report by consultancy Media Partners Asia. Korean product takes 40%. The study “U.S. Content in the Asia Pacific” tracked the video consumption behavior between January and March this year of some 40,000 consumers in ten Asia-Pacific markets: Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Australia, a $2.2 billion SVOD market, exhibits the highest reliance on US entertainment with 72% of measured SVOD viewership, followed by Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines where U.S. content accounts for 40-50% of viewership on average, with Indonesia close behind at 35%.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Indonesia’s largest cinema chain Cinema XXI could be heading to the stock market through an IPO by early next year. Early details were reported by the Nikkei newspaper citing its finance industry partner publication Dealstreet Asia. They said that the company may seek to raise $300 million of fresh capital. Last year, financial news service Bloomberg said that Cinema XXI ‘s owners were seeking to raise $500 million-$1 billion through an IPO. The reasons for the large discrepancy are unclear. The company holds a 60% market share of Indonesia’s cinema exhibition industry and, as of December 2022, operated 225 cinema venues with a total of 1,217 screens.

Jessie J has revealed she had to have a C-section as she discussed giving birth to her baby son. The singer, 35, welcomed her first child with boyfriend Chanan Safir Colman last month and has been candid with fans about her pregnancy journey. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Jessie shared a video of herself doing a playful dance in the hospital ward just because she had her C-section.

Meri Brown got emotional while reflecting on how she suffered a miscarriage a little more than 15 years ago.

Sia is opening up about being diagnosed with autism, two years after the controversy over the depiction of the neurological disorder in her 2021 film Music.

Rob Has a Podcast, which also featured “Survivor” finalist Carolyn Wiger, singer-songwriter Sia revealed for the first time that she is on the autism spectrum. The revealed diagnosis, which came well into the Grammy winner’s adulthood and two years after receiving backlash from the autism community for casting neurotypical actress Maddie Ziegler as a character with autism in her film “Music.”“I’m on the spectrum and I’m in recovery and whatever — there’s a lot of things,” said the musician, speaking both about her diagnosis for the first time and her sobriety with Wiger, who’s also a recovered addict.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Sia disclosed on a new episode of “Rob Has a Podcast” (via People) that she is on the Autism spectrum, a revelation made two years after the pop star generated backlash for casting a neurotypical actor (her frequent collaborato Maddie Ziegler) as a nonverbal autistic teenage girl in her feature directorial debut “Music.” “I’m on the spectrum, and I’m in recovery and whatever — there’s a lot of things,” Sia said, adding, “For 45 years, I was like, ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on.’ And only in the last two years have I become fully, fully myself.” While Sia has previously discussed being sober and entering rehab for alcohol addiction, this is the first time she has publicly discussed being on the autism spectrum. She said she found relief in “knowing about which neuroatypicality [she] may have or may not have.”

Sia is opening up about being diagnosed with autism.

Sia has been working through the challenges and opportunities of a late-life autism diagnosis.

Sia has revealed that she is on the autism spectrum, although she did not say when she was given that diagnosis.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The 25th Shanghai International Film Festival, June 9 to 18, has unveiled the titles in contention for awards in its four main feature-length sections: main competition, Asian New Talent, Animation film and documentary. These are eligible for the festival’s prestigious Golden Goblet Awards, winners of which will be announced at the Shanghai Grand Theater on the evening of June 17. While SIFF remains the only mainland China festival to be accredited as a so-called A-list event by the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF), its selections are largely separate and distinct from those at other major international festivals.

Kaley Cuoco is looking back on the moment she knew she wanted to have a baby with Tom Pelphrey. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Sundance Film Festival Asia, an offshoot of the Sundance Institute, is to set up camp in Taipei, Taiwan this summer. The three-day mini festival will run Aug. 18-20 and be put together in association with local organizer G2Go Entertainment. The event will showcase a handful of films curated by the Sundance Institute and host a short film competition that is open only to Taiwanese productions. Panel discussions will accompany the festival to foster artistic exchange, providing opportunities for the Taiwan film industry to connect with Sundance’s executive team, and elevating Taiwan’s image and presence in the global independent film industry. 

Instantaneously, fans and friends of the long-running I’m A Celebrity….Get Me Out Of Here! host jumped in the comments to share their support and insight into the condition 

Coronation Street star Sam Aston has revealed how growing up with a big family, including five sisters and three brothers, helped him with certain scenes on the ITV soap. Not only that, but some of his siblings have also dabbled in the acting world, including soaps - and he said this helped him when he first joined the show in 2003. In fact, one of his brothers and one of his sisters have both been on Coronation Street at some point, prior to Sam landing the role that shot him to fame.

“Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I told You” (Crown), Williams, 70, reveals this and plenty of other secrets. A singer and songwriter with deep Southern roots — born in the Louisiana city of Lake Charles — her songs tell tales of love, lust and loss, God and the devil. The most jarring stories in the book are about Williams’ mother, Lucille, who suffered from mental illness.She writes of a time when she was 3 and her mother locked her in a closet, because, her father told her, ‘You were being a typical 3-year-old and crying and she couldn’t handle it.’ “When I think about it now, it sounds so horrible.