After a turbulent coming of age in the spotlight, which included the release of Cyrus’s provocative “Wrecking Ball” music video and a risqué VMAs performance with Robin Thicke“I wasn’t trying to kill Hannah off,” she told Variety. “I was just progressing.”
Cyrus continued, “Being recognizable as a teen going through different phases and stages was sometimes awkward, but that’s what helped me relate to the kids watching at home.” She added: “I boldly and unapologetically presented myself to the world at that time, where I could have gone the other way and played it safe. Maybe that would have been successful at the time, and it wouldn’t have been such a cross to bear, but I wouldn’t have had the reward. I don’t know if I would have had the sustainability that my career has now.”
In 2020, Cyrus changed her life by choosing sobriety. As she told Variety“It’s no surprise that I had my experiences with drugs and alcohol. “I was so used to living at a high, and I don’t think I ever learned how to come down from that. Now, through a sober lens, I can have compassion and understanding for myself.”
Five years into recovery and twenty years after the show that started it all, Cyrus finally feels at peace. “My life is so beautiful. It never feels like I’m swimming upstream anymore,” she said. “I like the way people see me. And when I first left Hannah and put out BangerzI did not feel that way.”
Originally published by Vanity Fair Italy.