Five years later, the Disney Channel show ended and the actress struggled to shake her good girl image as she navigated her late teens and early 20s in the public eye.
She famously shaved off most of her hair and was involved in some scandals, such as a leaked video of her “smoking bongs” and having sex with a married man.
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Keep reading to learn about the biggest controversies Miley Cyrus has had throughout her career.
“Smoking” from a bong
Just five days after celebrating her 18th birthday, a video of Miley sniffing a bong went viral.
In the video, a fresh-faced teen raises the device to her mouth and appears to inhale smoke from the pipe before turning to face the camera.
The former Disney Channel star laughed and the video cut off.
Cyrus’ backlash to the clip was massive, as the actress was still playing Hannah Montana at the time.
TMZ reported that sources close to the star “said she did not smoke marijuana.”
“According to a source associated with Miley, the smoke filling the association is a natural herb called salvia that has psychedelic qualities. Possession of salvia is legal in California,” the post wrote.
TMZ’s source went on to say that the video was “filmed by one of Miley’s friends” and “the theory is someone stole the video or copied it from that friend’s camera.”
“Common” lighting on stage
Back in 2013, Miley got into a lot of trouble when she was censored for “smoking weed” at the MTV VMAs.
Cyrus wore an ultra-thin, high-cut leotard that barely covered her lower half, paired with white fur and gold accessories.
After winning Best Video for her hit song Wrecking Ball, the Hannah Montana star tried to put the award in her Chanel bag.
As she struggled to put the big silver award in her bag, Miley smiled, “I can’t put it in my bag…but I found this!”
She appeared to pull a “joint” out of her fancy handbag and appear on stage, a move that was later banned from the show by the bosses of MTV.
The clip appeared on YouTube and angry fans flocked to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts.
She has been described as an “awful role model” and “absolutely disgusting” with some simply wondering “why would she do that”.
Twerking on Robin Thicke
At the same awards ceremony, Miley stirred up more controversy after she sang Robin Thicke’s song “Blurred Lines”.
She was 20 years old at the time, and the duo was performing together while Miley showed off a giant foam finger on her hand.
Cyrus “behaved inappropriately” with the prop while wearing a latex bikini while giving her signature pose – sticking out her tongue.
At the time, Robin was married and the raunchy performance brought the show huge viewership.
Miley has since spoken out about the performance saying “it was very much a collaboration” and that Thicke encouraged her to be “as naked as possible”.
Pole dancing
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Three years after Hannah Montana first aired, Miley appeared at the Teen Choice Awards to perform her hit single Party In The USA.
Dressed in black shorts, a jacket, black cowboy boots and layers of jewelry, Miley sang her hit song while dancing around a large silver pole.
She was around 17 at the time, so of course, many viewers thought the show was inappropriate for a teen.
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At the age of 30, she spoke about the performance on her TikTok account and explained: “It wasn’t a strip pole! It was actually just for stability.
“I was wearing high heels. Guys, what do you want from me? Was I really going to do my performance without dancing on top of the ice cream truck?”
Miley then noted that “the performance was amazing” even though her “speech was a little off.”
wrecking ball
The song, which was released in 2013, sent shockwaves around the world when its official music video was released.
Miley stripped down to a pair of white underwear, a white tank top and a pair of Doc Marten boots armed with a sledgehammer and her signature blonde bob.
While passionately lip-syncing the words, Miley tore through the group behind her before jumping on the wrecking ball herself.
One scene showed the star completely naked as she rocked back and forth, while other clips showed Cyrus licking the sledgehammer as she raised it to her mouth.
Bangers era
The entire Miley Bangerz era spanned from 2014 after the star decided to cut off her layers and become her unapologetic self.
Eager to shake up the good-girl image carefully crafted years ago on the Disney Channel, Miley’s new look has worried some and inspired others.
Although it was quite divisive, many loved it, and Cyrus was regularly photographed in skimpy outfits and awkward poses during this period.
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