Chappell Roan has credited Miley Cyrus for paving the way for her to stand up for herself with the media and paparazzi.
During a surprise appearance during the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, the Pink Pony Club singer told Miley that she “literally walked so I could run” when it came to standing up for herself in public.
Hannah Montana star Miley told the pop star that she was “gagged” to see her scolding photographers on the red carpet, and Chappell replied, “But that’s because you took a lot of the heat for that in 2012, 2013.”
Miley faced intense scrutiny in 2013 for her album Bangerz and her infamously raunchy performance with Robin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Chappell, who grew up watching Hannah Montana, continued, “I don’t have to deal with that as much because the world really took it out on you… To see you be the artist you are, to be able to do this, just shows like your heart and your appreciation for your younger self and what got you here.”
The former Disney Channel star responded, “That’s really what this whole moment, this whole celebration, is about – loving on our younger selves, knowing that my younger me worked so hard so I could have the life that I have now.”
During the TV special, which is now streaming on Disney+, Selena Gomez also made a surprise appearance to reflect on her three-episode run as Mikayla in Hannah Montana.
The Only Murders in the Building actress admitted she felt “ugly” in her blue make-up and recalled having to say “mean” lines to Miley as their rival characters.
“It’s pretty mean! I don’t think they’d get away with saying half of that now,” Selena said, and Miley replied, “We can make amends now.”
Elsewhere in the special, the 33-year-old explained that Taylor Swift was in the 2009 Hannah Montana movie because “they were looking for someone that would authentically – no shade, I guess – be performing in a barn. We both performed in the barn.”
She added that the former country singer wrote a “banger” with the film’s finale song, You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home.
Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso, two of the core cast members from the hit Disney Channel show, were notably absent from the special. Emily explained on Instagram that she was busy filming her sitcom, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
