Miley Cyrus Defends Her Father’s ‘Wildly Different’ Attitude Towards Her Fame

Miley Cyrus's career has gone through many thrilling changes, but one thing has stayed consistent throughout. Now that she's released her new, emotionally charged song "Used To Be Young," Miley seems to be taking stock of her life. It's understandable that she would get upset talking about how much becoming a celebrity has changed her and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. 

Miley, 30 years old, said in a TikTok video posted on Saturday, August 26, "When I was born, my dad had the No. 1 country song. When I see the numbers, I just see the humans behind it, enjoying the music. I just see people in numbers." She spoke out about the constant presence of the spotlight in her life in a TikTok video for the single she was promoting.

Billy Ray Cyrus's "Achy Breaky Heart" spent five weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in 1992—the same year Miley was born. It would be an understatement to say that it was a big year for her father, who had struggled for so long to make it big in the music business. However, Miley Cyrus's rise to fame was accelerated by the fact that she was only 13 years old when the first episode of Hannah Montana aired on The Disney Channel. Her lifelong success has been tied inextricably to Billy Ray's as well.

But Miley is well aware of the ways in which her fame has altered her life in fundamentally different ways from those of her father. She added, "My dad grew up the opposite of me, so I think that’s where me and my dad’s relationship to fame and success is wildly different,him feeling loved by a big audience impacted him emotionally more than it ever could me. When he feels special or important, it's like healing a childhood wound. And I've always been made to feel like a star. It makes me emotional. So, I think that's the difference."

Her most recent single also arrived on a very special day for the artist. The 25th of August marked the tenth anniversary of her infamous VMAs performance, "Wrecking Ball," and the harsh criticism she faced after abandoning the innocent Disney persona that made her famous. The former Disney Channel star is the oldest child of Billy Ray Cyrus (now 62) and his ex-wife Tish Cyrus.

Miley posted on Instagram on Saturday, saying, "Sometimes it feels like my life started when Hannah Montana was born. But before Hannah there was Miley. My fantasy was to light up the world with laughter, music & iconic moments that last beyond my lifetime. Decades later I continue to fulfill my purpose because of the love provided by my fans."

After Billy Ray filed for divorce from Tish, 56, in October 2010, it took less than a year for the Hannah Montana series to end in January 2011. Several months later, he withdrew his petition, and Tish resubmitted it in 2013. After reconciling for a while, the music manager filed for divorce again in April of 2022. Billy Ray has been engaged to the artist Firerose since November 2022. Tish, on the other hand, just tied the knot with actor Dominic Purcell.