Miley Cyrus became internationally famous as Hannah Montana while still a child, making ordinary mistakes and deliberate reinventions unusually public.
Some moments generated legitimate debate while others became exaggerated celebrity morality stories. Cyrus now says she accepts those different eras as parts of one life.
Miley Cyrus Faced Vanity Fair Backlash
Miley Cyrus was 15 when Vanity Fair published an Annie Leibovitz portrait showing her wrapped in a sheet with her back exposed. The photograph generated intense debate about how a teenage Disney star was being presented. Cyrus initially described the image as artistic, while the public controversy became a major early lesson in how aggressively her transition from childhood celebrity would be judged.
Miley Cyrus Appeared in the Bong Video
A video surfaced in December 2010 showing Miley Cyrus using a bong shortly after her 18th birthday. Reports said the substance was salvia, a psychoactive plant that was legal in California at the time, rather than marijuana. The footage became another major break from her carefully managed Disney image and generated widespread tabloid coverage.
Miley Cyrus Shocked the 2013 VMAs
Miley Cyrus’s performance with Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards became one of the decade’s most debated awards-show moments. The provocative choreography marked an aggressive departure from Hannah Montana and dominated entertainment coverage afterward. Years later, the performance remains a reference point in discussions about Cyrus’s effort to control her adult identity.
Miley Cyrus Broke Records With Wrecking Ball
Miley Cyrus followed the VMAs with the “Wrecking Ball” music video, which combined emotional imagery with nudity and immediately drew enormous attention. Whatever viewers thought about the creative choices, the response was commercially undeniable: CBS reported that the video broke Vevo’s record for views during its first 24 hours.
Miley Cyrus Sparked Another EMA Debate
Miley Cyrus continued pushing her new public image at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards in Amsterdam, where she appeared to smoke a joint while accepting an award. The moment generated another wave of international coverage and reinforced the impression that Cyrus was deliberately separating herself from the expectations built during her Disney years.
Miley Cyrus Opened Up About Sobriety
Miley Cyrus later became increasingly open about substance use and sobriety rather than treating her earlier behavior as a publicity joke. She announced six months of sobriety in 2020, later acknowledged a pandemic relapse, and continued discussing the importance of sobriety in subsequent years. Her openness changed the framing from rebellious celebrity behavior toward recovery and self-understanding.
Miley Cyrus Now Embraces Every Era
By Hannah Montana’s 20th anniversary in 2026, Miley Cyrus was no longer trying to erase her Disney years or her controversial transition into adulthood. She described herself as a “patchwork” formed from every stage of her career and said sobriety had helped create a life she valued. The old media moments remain visible, but Cyrus now treats them as history rather than permanent definitions.
Featured Image: Shutterstock
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