Miley Cyrus Opens Up about the Impact 'Hannah Montana' Had on Her Mental Health

Singer and actress Miley Cyrus recently discussed how her Disney character "Hannah Montana" fueled her to create various versions of herself. Scroll down to watch her interview about the show's impact on her mental health.

Grammy Award-nominated pop singer and actress Miley Cyrus has come a long way since first gaining prominence as Miley Stewart in the famous Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana."

The series paved the way for Cyrus's stardom, cementing her place in Hollywood. Yet, the show also impacted her mental health as she developed a habit of creating alter egos for herself.

Now 29, the "Wrecking Ball" hitmaker shared that the difference in how fans treated her when she was portraying her fictional character versus her real self affected her. She told actor Kevin Hart on his Peacock talk show:

"On that kind of psychological level, I guess that's kind of why originally when I started doing solo projects as my own identity, I'd almost create kind of alter-egos of myself."

Cyrus was only 12 years old when she was cast in the famous Disney Channel show, which saw her altering her image by putting on a wig and sparkly costumes. Her first name on the show was also Miley.

Because of that, Cyrus felt there was little separation between her fictional persona and her real identity. The show follows the life of its character Miley, living a double life as a renowned pop singer named Hannah Montana.

Amidst her struggles with fame, Cyrus has not forgotten to give back.

On the show's 15th anniversary in March of this year, Cyrus wrote a tribute for her famous Disney Channel character. She treated the anniversary as a birthday and a time for her to reflect on the show's impact on her life.

The "We Can't Stop" songstress said that the letter she wrote was about her deep gratitude to the character and how she was able to make peace with that part of her life.

It was not the first time Cyrus spoke about the impact "Hannah Montana" had on her mental health. She previously remarked that the popular show, which ran from 2006 to 2011, gave her an identity crisis.

Amidst her struggles with fame, Cyrus has not forgotten to give back. She has supported homeless youth, LGBTQIA+ youth, and other marginalized communities through her Happy Hippie Foundation.

In a June 2021 interview with Vogue, she expressed her commitment to keeping herself educated and to never stop learning. The pop star also noted her desire to keep up with the next generation.

Recently, Cyrus also shared her thoughts about cancel culture in the wake of an uproar caused by rapper DaBaby's allegedly homophobic remarks. She urged the rapper and her followers to check out the public information group Greater Than Aids.

But she also called out the online community for fueling anger and hate instead of focusing on "education, conversation, communication, and connection." She stressed the importance of love, acceptance, and open-mindedness.