The love affair between Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus famously ended a couple years ago amid rumors that he couldn’t handle her transformation from squeaky-clean Disney icon to the wild and risqué pop star she is now.
That rumor was nonsense, according to a new interview Liam gave to Men’s Fitness . Liam started dating the star back in 2010 and broke off their engagement by 2013. Even back then, Hemsworth said his ex was a “free spirit,” the New York Daily News reported.
During the interview, which will be published in the December issue, the magazine asked Hemsworth a rather pointed question about Miley’s dramatic change in persona and whether Liam felt he’d “ dodged a bullet ,” according Entertainment Tonight . But Hemsworth supported her all the way and continues to do so.
“I think she’ll always surprise people with what she does, but she’s not a malicious person in any way. She’s a young girl who wants to do what she wants to do.”
At the time, the rumor mill contended that Liam’s romance with the pop star crashed and burned after her now-infamous performance at the 2013 VMA’s — the one involving a foam finger, a Robin Thicke dressed like Beetlejuice, and a heck of a lot of twerking.
In the candid interview, Liam shared quite a bit about his relationship with Cyrus . Among Liam’s wise comments: “you fall in love with who you fall in love with,” Miley was “real,” and the relationship was a serious and meaningful one and not a fling, People added.
“I mean, look — we were together five years, so I don’t think those feelings will ever change,” Hemsworth added. “And that’s good because that proves to me that it was real. It really was an important part of my life and always will be.”
Liam and Miley are reportedly still friends. And when Hemsworth was going through his very public breakup and had other relationship troubles, his older brother, Thor star Chris Hemsworth, apparently had no pity.
“I’ve watched Liam do things I did at his age, like being in relationships he shouldn’t be in, or being reckless just to prove a point,” the elder Hemsworth told GQ . “And I had no empathy. My mom had to remind me I was the same way.”
In response to Hemsworth’s interview, an insider told Hollywood Life that Cyrus is over the moon after learning that Liam cherishes their past romance. This unnamed source said the singer feels “ vindicated .”
“Hearing [Liam] defend her and say he still cares about her and loves her is huge, Miley could not be happier. For a long time she was angry at [Liam] and she felt like he abandoned her so it’s that much more meaningful that he’s being so public about it, she feels vindicated.”
Since she and Hemsworth parted ways, the pop star has indulged in a couple of relationships, first with Patrick Schwarzenegger and then, supposedly, with model Stella Maxwell. But Liam’s love life has been pretty non-existent — and he’s perfectly okay with that.
Liam said his busy working schedule and constant traveling means he doesn’t really meet new people often and makes dating difficult. Besides, dating someone “in the industry” isn’t easy, as Hemsworth learned with Cyrus.
“I’m constantly working, and I love working. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything at this point — I feel like I’m focusing on the right things and prioritizing things in the right way, and I’m a healthy, happy person.”
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But don’t worry, being single hasn’t made Liam depressed. Hemsworth has his dog, Tani, who features prominently on his Instagram account with the hashtag #TrueLove. Liam is also concentrating his energy on his health. Inspired by Hunger Games co-star Woody Harrelson’s vegan diet, Hemsworth has been vegan himself for five months.
“There are no negatives to eating like this. I feel nothing but positive, mentally and physically,” Liam Hemsworth said. “I love it. I feel like it also has a kind of a domino effect on the rest of my life.”
[Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images]