From her Hannah Montana days to swinging on wrecking balls and belting out emotional bangers like Flowers, Miley Cyrus has lived what feels like a thousand lives. And she’s still only in her early 30s.
She grew up on a Tennessee farm with the Billy Ray Cyrus as her dad (yes, Achy Breaky Heart Billy Ray), and went from Disney Channel sweetheart to Grammy-winning powerhouse. Whether you know her as a pop rebel, a rock goddess, a country queen, or just the girl who made twerking go viral, Miley’s kept us on our toes with her constant reinventions.
But behind the headlines, memes, and chaos arcs, there’s a lot more to Miley than people realize. She’s a Southern girl with serious pipes, wild roots, and a talent for evolving without losing her edge.
Even if you’ve followed her journey from Disney icon to full-on diva, chances are there are still a few things you’ve never heard. So here’s a little crash course: 26 fun, random, and lowkey surprising facts about Miley Cyrus that don’t usually make the front page. Let’s get into it.
Everything About Miley Cyrus – Answered In These Fun Facts
Fast facts about Miley Cyrus
• Miley was born on November 23, 1992
• She was born in Franklin, Tennessee
• She is 1.65m
• Miley has three Grammy Awards and several other accolades
• Her famous dad is Billy Ray Cyrus
1. What’s Miley’s Real Name?
Betcha didn’t know ‘Miley’ wasn’t her real name! Miley’s birth name is actually ‘Destiny Hope Cyrus,’ named after her father, Billy Ray, who believed she was destined to bring ‘hope’ into this world. So how did she come up with her current name? In May 2008, the Plastic Hearts singer decided to legally change her name to ‘Miley Ray Cyrus.’ “Miley,” coming from “Smiley,” which was her nickname growing up, and “Ray” being in tribute to her grandfather, Ronald Ray Cyrus.
2. Was Miley Famous Before ‘Hannah Montana’?
Long before her days as Hannah Montana, Miley had some minor acting jobs, including her first appearance on her dad’s TV show, Doc, when she was just eight-years-old. She also starred in Tim Burton’s Big Fish in 2003, before she landed a career on the Disney Channel.
3. Is Miley Right-Handed?
Miley Cyrus was actually born left-handed, but her dad—yep, Billy Ray—encouraged her to learn guitar using her right hand, since playing left-handed is often trickier. With enough practice, she not only picked up guitar right-handed, but also trained herself to write with her right hand, too. “If you don’t like my handwriting—talk to my dad,” she told ABC News.
4. Did Miley Cyrus Go to High-School?
Miley didn’t actually attend regular high school. That’s a given, considering she was starring in Hannah Montana during her teens. Instead, the actress attended Options for Youth Charter Schools with a private tutor on set. However, it’s one part of her upbringing that she regrets: “High school is something I wish I could have had. I still got to go to a prom but it wasn’t the same,” she said in 2012.
5. Miley Says She Can’t Drive
Miley may have a diverse car collection, but she’s actually a really bad driver. The Disney star revealed she’s a terrible driver on Carpool Karaoke back in 2017. Explaining to James Corden that she always hits things when she’s backing out of her driveway, Miley said she once hit the sound trailer while working on The Voice:
“The most recent [car accident] was a pretty good one. I was at ‘The Voice’ set and I was the last one to leave, and I backed my car into the sound trailer. But I didn’t tell anyone, I just left. So I did a hit and run.”
6. Is Miley Cyrus Bisexual?
This superstar hasn’t been shy of letting the world know about her interest for both boys and girls. Other than Miley’s ex-boyfriends like Nick Jonas and Liam Hemsworth, the artist has also rumored to have hooked up with women, too, including Stella Maxwell and Kaitlynn Carter—both of whom she was spotted kissing. However, in 2015, Cyrus herself told Elle that she identifies as pansexual.
7. How Many Tattoos Does Miley Cyrus Have?
Other than the occasional pink armpit hair, this truly individual star isn’t shy of a little ink. Miley has over 74 tattoos that all have a personal meaning. She pays tribute to the legend Michael Jackson, her grandma and her beloved pets that passed away. Miley even has a shocking tattoo inked on her lips and another that represents her strong support for the LGBTQ+ community.
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8. Miley Has an Art Collection
Turns out Miley is more than just a triple threat, as she also has a hidden talent in art! She’s not quite the next Picasso, but she did manage to showcase her art collection, titled ‘Dirty Hippie’ at Jeremy Scott’s runway show at New York Fashion Week in 2014.
“This seems so f**king lame to say but I feel like my art became kind of a metaphor—an example of my life,” Cyrus explained of her collection in an interview with V magazine [via E News]. I mean, let’s not even ask what this is, but hey ho, congrats girl!
9. She’s Actually Camera Shy
If there’s one thing about Miley that’ll shock you, it’s this: The tongue-wagging superstar is actually shy in front of the camera. In a 2013 interview with Barbara Walters, Miley said that she pulls faces in front of the camera to hide her awkwardness:
“I get embarrassed to take pictures. That’s actually the truth. I’m so embarrassed, because people are taking pictures of me, and I just don’t know how to—I don’t know how to smile, and just be awkward, so I stick my tongue out, because I don’t know what else to do.”
10. Miley Had Her Own YouTube Show
In 2008, Miley and her best pal, Mandy Jeroux hosted their very own YouTube show called “The Miley and Mandy Show” (so original right?). In this amateur series, the girls would hang out in their room, listen to music and goof around – oh, and it’s also where Miley famously parodied Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato and later apologized.
11. Does Miley Have a Heart Condition?
Miley Cyrus does indeed suffer from a heart condition, but don’t panic, it’s not life-threatening. The hitmaker revealed in her autobiography Miles to Go that when she was 16, she suffered from Tachycardia, which in simple terms means that her heart beats faster than the average Joe.
“The type of tachycardia I have isn’t dangerous. It won’t hurt me, but it does bother me. There is never a time onstage when I’m not thinking about my heart,” Miley disclosed.
12. What Other Health Struggles Does Miley Have?
Miley’s health was the topic of conversation in 2025, when she revealed on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show that she has Reinke’s edema. Describing the condition as “abuse of the vocal cords,” the artist explained that the disorder, which includes “a very large polyp” on her vocal cord is the cause of her signature raspy tone and the texture. Who would’ve known, right?
13. Is Miley Cyrus Related to Dolly Parton?
Okay, so everyone and their mom knows that Dolly Parton is Miley’s godmother, but did you know that these celebrities are related by blood, too? Ancestry.com revealed that Miley and Dolly are seventh cousins, once removed (whatever that means?). When Dolly learned the news in an Access Hollywood interview, she exclaimed, “Is that true? That’s amazing!”
14. Does Miley Cyrus Regret ‘Wrecking Ball’?
It may be one of her biggest hits, but sadly (yet understandably), Miley admitted that she actually dislikes Wrecking Ball. Reassuring fans that she’d still perform the song for them, the singer said in an interview:
“’Wrecking Ball’…Sorry guys… I’ll do it but I don’t love it. When you are so stoked on something you are so happy then you have to go sing a song that is about a big bummer. And then I can never live down that I licked a sledgehammer.”
Miley also revealed that her “worst nightmare” would be to have Wrecking Ball played at her funeral.
15. She Admits to Being ‘High’ on Set
Not so much the most surprising of Miley Cyrus facts, but here goes: When James Cordon asked Miley how “high” she was when she filmed the Wrecking Ball video (which included nude scenes), she answered “10.” But don’t judge her too much. Miley said she was sober when she twerked on Robin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2013. “I can’t smoke before I go on stage. I get too scared,” she revealed.
16. Does Miley Cyrus Have Kids?
I mean, if you’re a longtime fan of Miley’s (aka a Smiler), you’d already know that she doesn’t have any children. But did you know she plans on not having any at all? In an appearance on the New York Times’ Interview podcast, Miley explained why she is one of the few pop stars on her level who doesn’t have her own makeup line and how it ties to her thoughts on motherhood: “Cause that’s not my passion…I feel that way about motherhood. It’s just never been something that I’ve been overly passionate about.”
The singer continued, “It’s a lot of responsibility and devotion and energy, and if you’re not passionate about that, I don’t know how you do sleepless nights and 18 years of what my mom dealt with.”
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17. Who is Miley Cyrus’s Idol?
Other than her father and god-mother Dolly Parton, Miley has other idols and famous stars she aspires to be like. The singer admitted that when she was young, she wanted to be like Pamela Anderson: “Ever since I was little, it was only Pam when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would say you,” the Disney star said while in conversation with The Last Showgirl actress. “And the whole thing. The tattoos, the hair, all of it. That’s all I wanted to do, I wanted to be a showgirl!” I love watching you evolve because it’s been inspiring me so much.”
Miley also Miley considers music producer Pharrell as her “big bro.” Discussing their tight-knit relationship in a 2013 interview, Miley said, “I feel protected by him.”
18. What is Miley Cyrus’s Phobia?
It’s not spiders and it isn’t flying. Like many celebrities with anxiety, Miley Cyrus has confessed to having a fear of performing. Even after a 20 year long career, this superstar doesn’t like hitting the stage. “I perform out of fear,” she revealed to W Magazine. “I didn’t always have the fear of performing that I have now… It doesn’t matter if it’s eight or eight million people — that fear is there.”
19. Miley’s First Controversy Was at the Age of 15
Long before her good girl era, Miley was leaving fans shooketh with her wild behavior. But prior to her Wrecking Ball days, Miley was caught up her first ever celebrity scandal. At just 15-years-old, Miley posed for Vanity Fair wearing nothing but a white silk sheet and red lipstick. “This was the first time I ever wore red lipstick,” she said of the controversial shoot. “This image of me is a complete opposite of the bubble gum pop star that I had been known for being, and that’s what was so upsetting.”
20. What is Miley’s Net Worth?
With a net worth of over $160 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), Miley is actually richer than her country singer and actor dad, Billy Ray, who is worth $10 million. Miley made most of her money through music, selling out arena tours, appearing in films and TV shows and selling merchandise.
21. Miley Was in a Love Triangle with Selena Gomez
When two Disney stars collide! That’s right, Miley was once caught in a love triangle with Selena Gomez and Nick Jonas. The ‘feud’ was so bad, that they’d avoid filming scenes together during Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana. Let’s not forget Miley also threw shade at Selena on The Miley and Mandy Show. Miley dated Nick Jonas in 2006-2007, and moved on to Selena in 2008. Following their breakup, Cyrus admitted that Jonas was her “first love” and their split was the “hardest day ever.”
22. Are Miley and Liam Hemsworth Still Friends?
Miley and Liam were one of Hollywood’s it couples having been together for over a decade. They divorced after a brief marriage of just six months, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Although she said that she would “always love” Liam, the two have gone their separate ways and rarely bring each other up in interviews. Miley is now dating Maxx Morando, while Hemsworth has been seeing model Gabriella Brooks.
23. What Was Miley Cyrus’s First Job?
Wanna know an interesting fact about Miley? She was once a bra collector! Not quite the traditional teenage job, but according to The Things, our girl was paid $10 an hour by her father to collect underwear that was thrown onstage by his fans. I mean, we’ve all gotta start somewhere…
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24. She Wasn’t Supposed to be Hannah Montana
This fact about Miley is blowing my mind. Like, can you imagine a world where she isn’t Hannah Montana? Indeed, when she auditioned for the Disney show, Miley actually went for the role of Hannah’s bestie: Lilly Truscott. Although she was seen as too young for the show at first (Miley was 13), producers later encouraged her to go for the lead role. The rest is history!
25. Her VMA Performance Broke Records
Miley Cyrus broke the internet with her wild VMA performance, stealing the spotlight from even Beyoncé’s iconic Super Bowl show. Her twerk-filled antics set Twitter on fire, racking up a jaw-dropping 360,000 tweets per minute!
26. How Many Siblings Does Miley Cyrus Have?
Miley Cyrus is one of five siblings, so yeah, she comes from a pretty stacked fam. You’ve got Brandi and Trace Cyrus (both super into music and entertainment), Noah Cyrus (aka Gen Z’s emo-pop queen), Braison Cyrus (actor/musician), and Christopher Cody, her half-brother who keeps things low-key. Basically, it’s a whole squad of creatives.
So there you have it—26 wild, weird, and totally unexpected facts about Miley Cyrus that probably blew your mind a little. Head to the comments below to share your thoughts on these fun facts.
Originally published in April 2018.
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loved it.