Playing Hannah Montana Gave Miley Cyrus Anxiety & Body Dysmorphia
Miley Cyrus on the cover of the September 2015 issue of Marie Claire. (Photo: Hearst)
If you’ve watched Miley Cyrus over the past couple of years (singing naked on a wrecking ball, writing about the party drug Molly, performing with inflatable penises etc) it’s pretty clear that she wants to be the exact opposite of the squeaky clean Hannah Montana character she played as a teenager. Beyond acting in a way that Disney wouldn’t have supported while was under contract, the 22-year-old singer has transformed herself with an edgier image that she says finally expresses who she is. Cyrus opens up in Marie Claire’s September issue about the toll looking and playing Hannah Montana took on her self-image, and self-esteem. “I was made to look like someone that I wasn’t, which probably caused some body dysmorphia because I had been made pretty every day for so long, and then when I wasn’t on that show, it was like, “Who the f*** am I?” Cyrus revealed.
Miley Cyrus revealed that playing & looking like Hannah Montana resulted in body dysmorphia and anxiety. (Photo: Disney)
During her Hannah days, Cyrus would wear huge blonde wigs, candy-colored makeup, and gaudy costumes. “From the time I was 11, it was, “You’re a pop star! That means you have to be blonde, and you have to have long hair, and you have to put on some glittery tight thing.”’ she said. “Meanwhile, I’m this fragile little girl playing a 16-year-old in a wig and a ton of makeup.”
Being told what to look like and how to act threw the young star into a turmoil, separating her more and more from who she wanted to be. “I was told for so long what a girl is supposed to be from being on that show,“ she said. When she realized that who everyone was telling her to be, wasn’t who she was, it resulted in severe anxiety. “I would have anxiety attacks. I’d get hot flashes, feel like I was about to pass up or throw up. It would happen a lot before shows, and I’d have to cancel. Then the anxiety started coming from anxiety. I would be with my friends, thinking, I should be having so much fun. You get in this hole that seems like you’re never going to be able to get out of."
While she has transformed herself into a fearless performer who thrives on speaking her mind and pushing boundaries, Miley still has trouble with the celebrity spotlight. Her short hair, cooler makeup, and edgier wardrobe may reflect her personality, but she still hates the false perfection created by retouching images. "When you look at retouched, perfect photos, you feel like s***. They lighten black girls’ skin. They smooth out wrinkles. Even I get stuck on Instagram wondering, ‘Why don’t I look like that?’ It’s a total bummer. It’s crazy what people have decided we’re all supposed to be.” Clearly Cyrus has decided to look and be herself, with no apologies.
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