Speaking on an episode of Monica Lewinsky's podcast Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, Miley Cyrus opened up about the lasting impact of the VMA bodyshaming memes from 2013. As she explained, she still wears "grandma" bathing suits because she feels insecure about her body. Cyrus previously revealed that the backlash made her aware of using her platform for good.
The year was 2013 and the internet was a pretty cruel place. One of the most viral moments of the year ended up revolving around Miley Cyrus's controversial VMAs performance, which saw her wearing a nude two-piece and a teddy bear leotard. The performance resulted in huge backlash from the press and more than a few memes that made fun of Cyrus's body in the costume.
Twelve years later, Cyrus is still a little traumatized by it all. While speaking on the June 9 episode of Monica Lewinsky's podcast Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, Cyrus opened up about the lasting impact of the memes. "People were putting my head on different, very unattractive things," she said.
“I still see that when I put on a bathing suit to this day. I wear very modest bathing suits.” Cyrus wore a latex bra and underwear during the performance. Getty Apparently, the memes make her choose "grandma" bathing suits—even when she's with her own friends.
On a recent girls' trip, she recalled, "everyone else had on a string bikini," while she wore shorts and a tank top. Cyrus also wore a fuzzy teddy bear outfit. Getty Cyrus added, "You know this is what a grandma wears to the beach.'
It just hit me, like 'oh, I’m still so insecure about those memes about my body. '” This isn't the first time Cyrus has opened up about the 2013 VMAs performance. In fact, back in 2018, she told Wonderland that the attention she got did lead to some positive changes.
"Not only was culture changed, but my life and career were changed forever…It inspired me to use my platform for something much bigger." She added, "If the world is going to focus on me and what I am doing, then what I am doing should be impactful and it should be great, It encouraged me to be more involved, which then led me to start my own organization, which is the Happy Hippie Foundation. It’s dedicated to fighting injustice for vulnerable populations."
Cyrus recently debuted her ninth studio album, Something Beautiful, at Tribeca Film Festival. For the occasion, she embraced a more naked look in a see-through net dress.
