If there’s one true fact about Miley Cyrus, it’s that she’s not shy of giving us the odd controversial moment. The most scandalous ‘it- girl’ has broken headlines numerous times, turning her PG princess image into a twerking teenage rebel. This crazy celeb hasn’t stopped shocking us since the moment she broke free from the Disney scene.
Having gone full circle with her teenage trials in the public eye, we’ve dove into the past to dig out Miley Cyrus’ controversial and most shocking moments of all time….
1. Cyberbullying Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato
This once-was mean girl mocked Demi and Selena in an online video with her BFF, Mandy back in 2008. On their YouTube channel, the teenage girls decided to mimic Miley’s Disney rivals when they word-for-word copied one of their recent videos. Although they denied doing this with cruel intentions, they later took the video down and apologized for their actions.
2. Being a Victim of the MySpace Hack
At the young age of 15, the not-so-innocent teen fell prey to hackers when they cracked into her MySpace account and leaked photos of the popstar provocatively posing for photos for then-boyfriend, Thomas Sturges. While the images were nothing compared to her current Instagram feed, they still tarnished her squeaky-clean Disney persona.
3. Pole Dancing at the Teen Choice Awards
While the pop princess was transitioning out of her Hannah Montana phase, she gave fans a little insight of what was in store by dancing on a pole during her Party in the USA performance at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. Little did we know that this was just the start of a lot worse to come…
4. Lap Dancing for Her Producer
In the summer of 2010, young Miley was captured grinding on her producer in secret footage obtained by TMZ. The video which was soon removed, left many fans confused and a little sickened to say the least. We know they say you should have good relations with your colleagues – but we’re pretty sure this was bordering on inappropriate.
5. Smoking on Camera
This teenage rebel was caught smoking a hallucinogenic herb in 2010. The troubled star was captured asking for “more of that sh*t” in the shocking footage. Although many teens go through this stage, Miley later realized what a bad example she was setting for her young fans. It didn’t stop her from taking things further by the looks of it…
6. Cutting Her Long Hair
To bid good riddance to her pristine Disney image, Miley and her stylist took to scissors to chop off her luscious locks in 2012. The daring star sported a new, peroxide pixie cut and stated that “she’d never felt more me”. Many accused her of trying to look like Draco Malfoy (LOL) and abandon her femininity but in fact, she did it to raise money for cancer. Miley’s signature sweet look had taken a new hot turn, introducing a brand new chapter in her life.
7. The VMA Twerk That Took the Internet by Storm
We all know about Miley Cyrus’ outrageous twerkathon with Robin Thicke in 2013 (unless, of course, you live under a rock). In case you didn’t – the tongue-wagging star stripped down into a latex two-piece and used a foam finger to create provocative gestures during her performance at the MTV VMAs. This certainly wasn’t one of her finest moments and it was one of the first of many scandalous occasions to come!
8. Her NSFW Terry Richardson Photoshoot
Fashion photographer, Terry Richardson, released a series of provocative images for Candy magazine, which sent shock-waves throughout the entire globe. Miley left nothing to the imagination and even pushed the boundaries by wearing a strap-on. It was no surprise when everyone started naming her the worst role model ever.
9. The Wrecking Ball Video That Broke the Internet
If you thought Miley’s controversy peaked at the VMAs, you were highly mistaken. The girl-gone-wild stole headlines once more when she released her music video for Wrecking Ball. From swinging bare on a wrecking ball to licking a sledgehammer, this video took the singer’s provocativeness to a whole new level.
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10. Smoking on Stage at the MTV EMAs
This naughty hipster hasn’t been shy on sharing her love for marijuana but she took the admiration to an extreme when she lit, what appeared to be a joint, on stage at the MTV Awards in the Netherlands in 2013. It looked like Miley’s innocent Disney persona was truly gone.
11. Calling her Dad out for Cheating
Miley gave this family feud a global audience when she threatened to leak their dirty laundry to her millions of followers in 2013. The ballsy star was just bluffing, as we’re still unaware of what actually went down in the Cyrus household at that time.
12. Getting Up, Close & Personal With Katy Perry
Miley and Katy locked lips during her tour in 2014. But, this wasn’t the first time the pair had shared a friendly kiss. The girls have been friends since teens and it’s been speculated that Perry’s hit single, I Kissed a Girl was actually inspired by her close relationship with Miley.
13. Locking Lips with Alexander Wang
Surprisingly or not, Miley made headlines not just for the shocking outfit she was wearing that night (which included bright shades, lingerie pasties and NOTHING ELSE), but also for her make-out sesh with man of the hour, Alexander Wang back in 2014. That was sure a way to steal the limelight from the array of top models!
14. Takes a Homeless Convict to the VMAs
It seemed like Miley had finally taken the philanthropic route when she took a homeless man as a date to the 2014 VMAs, but little did she know that he actually had a criminal record and a warrant for his arrest. At least she tried to do something good?
15. Supporting the “Free the Nipple Campaign”
As if the twerking diva really needed an excuse to go unclothed AGAIN! In 2014, Miley dropped jaws when she took to Instagram to support the Free the Nipple campaign. Sharing a selection of NSFW photos for the world to see, Miley proved that she might be a wild one, but that she’d always fight for what she believes in.
16. Using Indecent Props on Stage
Miley made sure her tour went down in history when she took to the stage during her Dead Petz tour wearing prosthetic breasts and a strap-on. From wearing provocative outfits to lighting up on stage, these controversial performances in 2015 definitely shrugged off Miley’s squeaky-clean Hannah Montana phase.
17. Stripping Down for V Magazine
After a series of controversial performances and shoots, it was only a matter of time before this scandalous star done another shocking photoshoot. The daring superstar bared it all for her behind-the-scenes photo-shoot with V Magazine. Miley was captured posing in the buff for the magazine’s controversial Diary of a Dirty Hippie edition in 2015, leaving many of her fans stunned.
19. Fighting Nicki Minaj
The free-spirited popstar made jabs at rap queen, Nicki Minaj by calling her “not nice” after her public feud with Taylor Swift, so what did Nicki do? She called her out on stage at the 2015 MTV VMA Awards during her acceptance speech for Anaconda, by saying, “back to this b*tch that had a lot to say about me in the press. Miley, what’s good?” That must have stung like a bee! And it still goes down as one of the most epic celebrity feuds of all time!
20. Peeing in Public
Most celebs are papped stuffing their face with a burger after a night of celebrations. But, on her 23rd birthday, Miley was caught peeing in public. She really does have no shame.
21. Divorcing Liam, Kissing Kaitlynn
Power couple, Miley and Liam Hemsworth shocked the nation when they married in December 2018, but struck the world dumb when they announced their divorce just eight months later. Their split soon caused an even bigger media frenzy when Miley was spotted kissing Kaitlynn Carter, one day after her she announced her split from Liam.
22. Ranting about Slut-Shaming
After much gossip and scandal about Miley’s relationships, the superstar decided to set the record straight with this lengthy post on social media. Feeling “slut-shamed” for dating, the singer went in during her latest outrage, which we must admit, had some truth in it. Miley ranted about how the media treats her relationships, claiming that famous men aren’t treated the same when they date multiple women.
Growing up in the spotlight clearly took a toll on this scandalous celeb- but it’s safe to say that despite Miley’s crazy moments, her talent is undeniable. Whether you love her or hate her, Cyrus has made a true mark on the entertainment world.
Which controversy made you cringe the most? Join in on the conversation below to let us know…
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