Miley Cyrus has spent more than two decades in the public eye, from her breakout role as the star of Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana" to her evolution into a chart-topping musician and actress. Along the way, she's built a career full of surprising turns.
Here are 12 verified facts about the real person behind the pop icon.
Miley Cyrus's real name is Destiny Hope Cyrus. She legally changed it to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008, adopting the nickname family and friends had used since she was a baby.
She was just 11 years old when she auditioned for the role of Hannah Montana, beating out hundreds of other young hopefuls to land the part that made her a household name.
Miley is a skilled multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, piano, and banjo.
Her famous tongue-out pose, which became iconic after her 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance, is simply a habit she developed to avoid smiling in photos, as she explained in a 2013 Rolling Stone interview.
Country music legend Dolly Parton is Miley's godmother. The two have a close relationship and have recorded several songs together over the years.
Miley followed a vegan diet from 2014 to 2019 and founded the Happy Hippie Foundation, a nonprofit that supports homeless and LGBTQ youth. She later reintroduced fish and omega-3s into her diet for health reasons.
Miley has dealt with serious health issues, including tachycardia (an abnormally fast heart rate) and a ruptured appendix that required emergency surgery.
Miley has a tattoo reading "Wükong" in tribute to her younger brother Braison, a nickname she gave him growing up.
Miley has been in several high-profile relationships, including with musician Nick Jonas and actor Liam Hemsworth. She married Hemsworth in December 2018, and the couple announced their separation less than a year later, in August 2019.
Miley won her first career Grammy Award at the 2024 Grammy Awards, taking home Best Pop Solo Performance for her hit single "Flowers."
"Flowers" also won Record of the Year at the 2024 Grammys, making it Miley's first "Big Four" Grammy win.
"Flowers" comes from Miley's eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, released in March 2023.
We write every article to be genuinely fun — and genuinely true. Each fact is checked against reputable sources before it goes live. Spotted something off? Tell us and read our fact-check policy.
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