Miley Cyrus Says She Was Taken Advantage of on Hannah Montana
Miley Cyrus may be known nowadays for her wild performances, engagement to Liam Hemsworth and, well, her tongue, but when the world was first introduced to the young actor and singer on Hannah Montana, Miley was just 14 years old and new to the industry. Because of her excitement, eagerness and inexperience, Miley now says that looking back on things, she feels like she was taken advantage of in various not-so-cool ways.
Landing the lead role on a Disney show may have seemed like a dream come true (and surely was in many ways), but now, as an adult with years of industry experience under her belt, Miley is seeing her early days in the biz a little differently.
Talking with Elle, Miley admitted, “I did not grow up spoiled in any way. I just wanted to be on TV. I mean, at one point— they’ll probably kill me for saying it…” (PAUSE! Miley’s screw-it-I’m-gonna-be-honest attitude is just so very awesome.) “I was probably the least paid person on my cast because I didn’t know any better. I was just like, ‘I can be on Disney! Yeah, I want to do it!’”
But that’s not the only way Miley feels things weren’t totally fair. She continued by adding that although her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, was in the business, “He so wasn’t.” At least, not to the level that Miley would rise to and, therefore, couldn’t predict everything she would face.
For instance, Miley explained, “My name was Miley on my show, but I didn’t own my name — we didn’t think about that. Like, ‘Yeah, you can use my name on your show, sure!’ My mom started understanding how many people take advantage of a child, so she hired smart people to protect me in that way. I’m happy that when I was younger, people protected me and put me in a position where I can now control my music.”
We’re happy about that too, Miley!
Do you think children need more protection in the entertainment industry? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(h/t Elle; photos via Rob Kim/Getty, Disney)
