Miley Cyrus Reflects on How Her ‘Relationships Fell Apart’ During Her <i>Bangerz</i> Era

In an appearance on Monica Lewinsky’s Wondery podcast, Reclaiming, Miley Cyrus is revisiting the fallout from her news-making Bangerz era. In the episode released today, the singer reflects on how the provocative image she cultivated over 10 years ago came at a steep price. “I lost everything during that time in my personal life because of the choices I was making professionally,” she tells Lewinsky.

The 32-year-old explains that flaunting her body onstage and in photo shoots created tension both at home and in her love life. “If I kept dressing or acting a certain way, my relationships fell apart. No one wanted to date me because they didn’t want to be with a woman whose sexual expression was shared with the world,” she says, noting that even her siblings occasionally skipped school to avoid their classmates’ taunts.

“There was even a time where my brother and sister didn't want to go to school because of how humiliated they were to be related to me,” Cyrus revealed. “I remember my brother at one point he was saying, ‘I don’t judge you, but you could understand how hard it is for me to go to school, and you be my sister.’”

Family dynamics surfaced repeatedly in the conversation. Cyrus recalled feeling ashamed to face her father, Billy Ray, revealing it was difficult to “go home and see my dad and like look him in the eyes and not feel super embarrassed.”

Those experiences informed another song she’s written, called “Secrets.” While that track is not yet officially released, fans can listen to Cyrus’s latest work on her ninth album, Something Beautiful, which dropped last month, followed by a visual film at the Tribeca Film Festival last weekend.