When the world first met Miley Cyrus, she was a girl of 11 breaking out from Disney thanks to Hannah Montana. As she kept moving up the entertainment ladder, it is not just her acting and music that would keep her in the eye of the public but also her many controversies that one might have believed came almost naturally for her.
From her leaked pictures when she was only 15 to her MTV VMAs performance with Robin Thicke in 2013, it was apparent to many who did not believe her when she said that she couldn’t be tamed in 2010, that she really couldn’t.
Miley Cyrus’ Biggest Scandals
1. Intimate Photos Leaked (2008)
The first big scandal that Cyrus found herself in was in April 2008 when her computer was hacked and suggestive pictures she took for and with her then-boyfriend were leaked.
2. Vanity Fair Photoshoot (2008)
While the leaking of her intimate photos did not raise many eyebrows, her topless photoshoot for vanity fair with Annie Leibovitz sure did it for the 15-year-old Disney teen idol. Of course, appearing on the cover of the magazine was a feat for anyone her age, but the outrage was so loud that the teenager came out with an apology to her fans promising she wouldn’t do it again.
3. Mocked Asians in Group Photo (2009)
With other smaller controversies in the way since her Vanity Fair pictures, her next big scandal was when the then-16-year-old Miley was accused of racism. This was after she slanted her eyes in a group photo which was typical of people who mock Asians.
This time around, she refused to apologize even when groups like the Organization of Chinese Americans demanded an apology. She insisted she was only making goofy faces, but she later apologized saying she learned her lesson.
4. Teen Choice Awards Pole Dancing (2009)
In August 2019 when she was still working on her Can’t Be Tamed album, she performed a pole dance at the 2009 Teen Choice Award, which was described as the boldest statement from the singer at the time coming from an underage star.
5. MTV Video Music Awards Twerking and Dance with Robin Thicke (2013)
Of Miley Cyrus’ Biggest Scandals, this will top for many. She came rather prepared to the 2013 MTV VMA with short hair that was dyed blonde.
From her twerking performance when she performed We Can’t Stop, she switched to a nude latex bra and panty set and was joined by Robin Thicke to perform Blurred Lines. Cyrus danced sexually with the older singer, something many saw as completely outrageous.
The performance is still believed to be one of the things that got Paula Patton to her breaking point, leading to the end of her close to 10 years of marriage to Thicke.
6. Wrecking Ball Video Controversy (2013)
By the time her Wrecking Ball video in which appeared nude and pleasuring a sledgehammer was released, she was already used to controversies. In an article in The Guardian, Michael Hann argued at the heat of the controversy that it had nothing to do with a woman exploring her sexuality but everything to do with “exploring the iconography of porn.”
7. Cyberbullied and Dissed Selena Gomez (2008 and 2014)
They may both be Disney stars but Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus are not the best of friends this is even though they appeared on Hannah Montana together with Gomez later joining, and they performed at the Teen Choice Awards in 2008.
When Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato came newly to Disney, the two were cyberbullied by Cyrus and Mandy Jiroux when they mocked them on a YouTube video. Cyrus and Jiroux later apologized to the new girls on block and took down the video.
The bad blood Miley had against Selena stretched to 2014 when during her Bangerz World Tour in Milan, Italy, she came with a cardboard cutout of Gomez as she sang her “FU,” song. The twerking pop star threw the cutout to her fans as she continued with her song.
8. Her 2014 VMA Date- Jesse Helt
One of the highlights of the 2013 VMAs, Miley Cyrus came to the 2014 awards with a homeless man, Jesse Helt who received her award for Wrecking Ball video on her behalf.
The intention of the singer was to raise awareness on the issues of homelessness. However, that brewed another controversy when it was found out that Jesse Helt had a criminal past and had violated his probation by coming to California to pursue a career as an artist.
9. She criticized the engagement ring Liam Hemsworth got her (2016)
The next time Miley left many at a shock was when she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to criticize the 3.5-carat Neil Lane sparkler her future husband, Liam Hemsworth got for her. She revealed that the only reason why she would wear it is that she loves the actor.
10. Nicki Minaj Vs Miley Cyrus (2015 VMA)
In both the 2013 and 2014 VMAs, Miley Cyrus did not get away without shining the light on herself. In 2015, the light came to her and that was not because of the costume her costumes as she hosted the awards. Instead, it was about a row she had with Nicki Minaj who before the show said white girls got more nominations than others. In an interview before the awards, Cyrus lent in her voice stating that it was not polite of Minaj to say that, bringing in the fight between Taylor Swift and Nicki.
When Nicki went up to receive her award for Best Music Video, she called on Miley for talking about her to the press.