Maddie Ziegler makes a rare public appearance with boyfriend Eddie Benjamin

Justin Bieber’s Justice album release party on Thursday evening was full of high profile guests including Kendall and Kylie Jenner and Jaden Smith.

And Dance Mom’s vet Maddie Ziegler, 18, also managed to snag herself an invite to the star studded bash, opting to bring her boyfriend Eddie Benjamin, 19 — a good friend of Justin’s — as her plus one.

Though notoriously private with their relationship, the pair emerged from The Nice Guy in West Hollywood holding hands after an enjoyable evening supporting their pal.

The protege of Sia looked stylish in a pair of grey suit pants and a white crop top with a black leather jacket. 

She paired the look with platform loafers with socks, and left her blonde tresses down with light makeup. 

The musician grasped his girlfriend’s hand as he strolled beside her in brown corduroys and suede accented Nike’s with an eye-catching magenta sweater. 

The two were seen entering and exiting the venue in black masks as Eddie tenderly rested his hand on Maddie’s back. 

The pair began dating in September 2019 but have kept their relationship semi under wraps.  

The Australian native and the Baby crooner seem to have a collaborative friendship, Eddie sharing a photo listening to music with Justin in February. 

In another snap on his Instagram, he and Justin sat next to each other on a couch as Eddie wrote: ‘special journey. thank you so much justin for having me apart of such a beautiful moment,’ perhaps having a hand in his latest album. 

Benjamin has been open about his diagnosis with a rare neurological condition called Synesthesia — a phenomenon where the brain blends two or more senses together — which may aid in his musical abilities. 

Speaking to Ziegler’s longtime mentor Sia in conversation with Interview Magazine, he opened up about the condition.  

‘I see colored numbers with pitch. I relate colors to certain pitches and notes. The 12 notes that we have in the musical Western world, I see certain colors to them, and it’s fun and also quite tiring,’ he shared.  

Ziegler and Sia first teamed up when she was just 11-years-old, casting her in the video for her hit song Chandelier, and the singer is now Maddie’s godmother. 

They recently teamed up again for her new movie, Music, where Maddie stars opposite Kate Hudson as a girl on the autism spectrum, but the choice of casting caused a controversy. 

Sia’s was accused of being ‘ableist,’ with many wondering why she did not cast someone in the role who was actually on the spectrum. 

She fired back: ‘I can’t do a project without her [Ziegler]. I don’t want to. I wouldn’t make art if it didn’t include her,’ she said on Australian TV show The Project, chalking it up to ‘nepotism.’ 

Maddie spoke to The Independent about the backlash, sharing that though she understands why people were upset, she has overwhelmingly chosen to stay out of it. 

‘I’ve actually stayed out of all of it just because, you know, I’m 18 years old and it’s a lot of pressure. I understand why people would want someone who’s actually on the spectrum with autism to play this character, but in terms of the dance sequences, I think that’s why Sia chose me to bring the dream world to life.’  

Ziegler also recently spoke about social media as a whole, calling it overwhelmingly ‘toxic’ in conversation with ET. 

‘I think it used to be super fun and relaxed. You’d go on to see what your friends are doing or what drink they’re drinking that day. It was very, very lighthearted…It’s become a toxic place,’ she said. 

The Fallout star added that the various platforms makes it ‘really easy to compare yourself to everyone,’ which makes being a teenager especially difficult.