Miley Cyrus Says It Was Her Mom's Idea to Have Her Pole Dance During 2009 Teen Choice Awards at 16
"When I got in trouble the next day, you know who was nowhere to be found? Tish Cyrus."
Miley Cyrus is setting the record straight when it comes to her controversial 2009 performance at the Teen Choice Awards.
During a recent conversation with her sister, Brandi Cyrus, for Spotify's Billions Club series, the "Flowers" singer revealed that it was her mother, Tish Cryus, who came up with the main idea for her eyebrow-raising performance.
“This is going to be no surprise to you. Do you know whose idea that was?” Miley asked her sister, who automatically guessed it was their mom's plan.
“Yup, that was my mom’s idea. So she always lets me take the blame," she revealed. “When I got in trouble the next day, you know who was nowhere to be found? Tish Cyrus.”
Cryus was just 16 years old when she performed "Party in the U.S.A." at the Teen Choice Awards in 2009 for the very first time. During the performance, she infamously danced on stage with a pole attached to an ice cream cart.
At the time, her pole dancing routine caused a bit of controversy, as Cyrus was known for her more family-friendly role in Hannah Montana. At one point, Cyrus was even compared to the then-embattled pop star Britney Spears.
While the at-the-time 16-year-old's performance caused a stir, looking back Cyrus says she remembers what she wore more than the controversy that followed.
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“The thing that I remember most about that performance was it was the first time I ever wore real diamond jewelry on stage," she explained to her sister. "So you guys remember a little old ice cream truck. I remember the diamonds."
The recent conversation with her sister was not the first time Cyrus has discussed the memorable performance. Last year, in a video posted on TikTok, Cyrus cleared the air when she explained that the pole was primarily used for "stability" and was not, in fact, a so-called "stripper pole" at all.
@mileycyrus Used To Be Young (Series) - PART 21
♬ Used To Be Young - Miley Cyrus
"I had cut 'Party in the U.S.A.' and I was doing my first performance for the Teen Choice Awards. My mom was like, 'I think it'd be really cool if she was in the trailer park, that's where we really do come from,' " Cyrus explained at the time.
"So, apparently me dancing on an ice cream cart with a stripper pole, but it wasn't a stripper pole, it was actually just for stability. I had a heel on! Guys, what do you want from me?" she continued. "Was I really gonna do my performance without dancing on top of an ice cream cart?"
Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.
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