When Chappell Roan shared the list of celebrities who’d reached out in support after she asked fans to respect her boundaries, Miley Cyrus‘ name appeared. Now, the “Flowers” singer is vocalizing her support for everyone else.
In a new cover story with Harper’s Bazaar, Cyrus spoke about Roan’s rise and the wave of online criticism that has come with it, saying that she sympathized with the “Good Luck, Babe” singer’s situation. “I wish people would not give her a hard time,” she said.
She explained that the star’s rise hasn’t been helped by social media, and explained her reticence toward being active online in 2024. “It’s probably really hard coming into this business with phones and Instagram. That wasn’t always a part of my life, and I’m not a part of it now,” she said. “I don’t even have my Instagram password.”
Roan herself has personally pointed to Cyrus as an inspiration for her solo career. Back in August, when Cyrus was honored at the Disney Legends Ceremony, Roan shared a video for the award thanking Cyrus for the work she did paving the way for artists such as her. “She constantly reinvents herself and always works,” Roan said. “She could do whatever she wants, which is something I want to do. Miley does anything and it works. Miley feels like freedom to me.”
Elsewhere in her interview, Cyrus also chatted about her song “Used to Be Young,” saying that with the benefit of hindsight, both she and her godmother Dolly Parton don’t know if she needed to put it out. “It was one of those things that maybe now that I’m a bit more private, I would’ve kept private, but I’m happy to have shared it. It just feels like a song that’s so personal that it’s hard for people to relate,” she explained. “[Dolly] goes, ‘I don’t know if I like that new ‘Used to Be Young’ song because it’s not fair that you’re singing about not being young when you’re young and beautiful. And here I am — I’m like 80 — and I’m like, that should have been my song!’”
Cyrus added that she still looks to Parton for inspiration today, especially when it comes to separating the personal from the professional. “She lets everyone in and no one in at the same time,” she said.
“Everyone feels like they know her, but they’re also OK with the fact that they don’t see her without makeup, without the full drag.”
