When Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth started dating, I was just entering high school. It was summer 2009 when they met on the set of “The Last Song,” and it was summer 2009 when I met a guy I soon developed a crush on. When Liam and Miley started dating in October of the same year, I had already met his parents and extended family.
As someone who grew up watching “Hannah Montana,” I was always generally a Miley Cyrus fan, but I really started paying attention to her when she started rebelling. After “The Last Song,” Miley deleted her Twitter account in a search for privacy, especially when it came to her love life. As a generally private person, especially in high school, I understood this.
I don’t know when it happened, exactly, but I became very emotionally invested in Miley and Liam’s relationship. I think it’s because I see so much of myself in Miley Cyrus — we’re both Sagittarius women of approximately the same age who were rebelling at about the same time. In 2010, during the “Can’t Be Tamed” era, we also had similar attitudes. Neither of us were in a relationship, nor did we need to be in order to be happy.
I remember being a little devastated when they announced their split. My best friend and I rewatched “The Last Song” — meaning I broke down all of my feelings as the movie played in the background.
When they got back together in mid-2011, I was skeptical. It seemed too soon. They hadn’t worked out their issues yet. I didn’t want Miley to get hurt.
And when engagement rumors started to fly in 2012, I was worried.
When they announced the end of their engagement and, subsequently, their relationship, I was upset but relieved. It was going to hurt, but they needed to figure themselves out before they could even try to be with each other.
Miley dropped “Bangerz” in October 2013, the start of my first year at UNC, and we went through this transitional period together. She was mourning the loss of a deep relationship, and I was just trying to keep my life together in a new environment. She had a new look and sound — so did I. I started wearing less and going out more. I listened to “Bangerz” on repeat for months.
I will be the first to say that she is a problematic fave. But Miley and I have transitioned through life together, and I genuinely wish her the best (yes, I know I don’t know her).
