Singer and actor Miley Cyrus is no stranger to headlines.
After the show ended when she was 18, she sought to redefine herself.
She did so boldly, making appearances that shocked millions.
During this transition, she was judged harshly for her behaviors.
She was instead grittier, wilder, freer.
“People get told that it’s a bad thing to change,” she toldHarper’s Bazaar.
“Like, people will say, ‘You’ve changed.’
And that’s supposed to be derogatory.
But you are supposed to change all the time.”
Coping with criticism
Handling the criticism was overwhelming.
Tabloids commented on everything from her risque appearances in music videos to her acne.
She was starting her young adulthood with public condemnation.
“Now that I’m an adult, I realize how harshly I was judged.
Wanting the “old” Miley back was a popular sentiment in those early years away from Disney.
People had created an idea of who she was, and they were upset when she strayed from it.
Her last tour was in 2014.
She gained a reputation for giving her all for her fans by performing encores and taking song requests.
She didn’t want to disappoint a single person who came out to see her.
“And I can’t.
Not only ‘can’t’, because can’t is your capability, but my desire.
Do I want to live my life for anyone else’s pleasure or fulfillment other than my own?”
