Hannah Montana was an important part of many kids' childhoods. Both the show and the catchy pop music Miley Cyrus created as her alter-ego was a symbol of 2000s Disney Channel. But since the show ended in 2011, and thus the existence of Hannah Montana, Miley has changed a lot.
She was 18 when she killed Hannah Montana in cold blood (not literally, of course, that just wouldn't fly on Disney). Now 26, she's lived much of her life in the spotlight, and she attributes her massive shift in character to losing her virginity.
Check out Miley giving the ultimate throwback to her Hannah Montana days:When asked in an interview with Elle if she ever wanted out of Hannah Montana during the show, Miley said:
"I did once I was 18 because it felt ridiculous. The minute I had sex, I was kind of like, I can’t put the fucking wig on again. It got weird. It just felt like ... I was grown up."
She recalls one of the moments she knew she had to put her sparkly, fringed wardrobe in the back of her closet was after an experience at a theme park:
"One time I went backstage at Disneyland, and Peter Pan was smoking a cigarette. And I was like, 'That’s me. That’s the kind of dreams I’m crushing.' That’s how everyone felt with the bong video, but I’m not a Disney mascot. I’m a person. "
But this interview isn't' the first time the pop star and actor has reflected on the influence of her past identity. She previously told CBS News: "I think why people loved Hannah Montana was because Hannah Montana did feel real. And that's 'cause I was under there.''
Check out Miley's carefree dancing at her wedding to Liam Hemsworth:But while she looks back on her time as Hannah Montana fondly, she doesn't negate its challenges as she told CBS: "I definitely look back on it as a good time. I think what was hard for me was balancing everything" and "I mark that up to doing some extreme damage in my psyche as an adult person."
That sounds like a complicated relationship, and I can't imagine her cognitive dissonance. Cheers to Miley for coming such a long way.