The Hannah Montana Anniversary Special had it all: laughs, tears and tea. Here’s everything Miley Cyrus casually dropped in the Hannahversary special.
The back-to-back Disney child star comebacks are making me feel some type of way (I’m just in emotional ruins, okay?)
Hilary Duff recently released a new album and is going on tour. Lindsay Lohan reprised her role as Anna in Freakier Friday in 2025. And now, Miley Cyrus – who for years publicly said she just wanted to put Hannah Montana behind her – has made a whole anniversary special celebrating her!
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, or the Hannahversary as Miley lovingly calls it, dropped on Disney+ this week. In front of a live audience, she performed the most iconic HM songs This Is the Life, The Climb and of course, The Best of Both Worlds.
Miley was so committed to the character for the special, she ditched the blonde wig. Apart from some clip-ins, it’s all her real hair. She dressed very Hannah-coded too with the scarf, capris and stilettos, and took a trip down memory lane on a full set Disney recreated just for the occasion.
She was interviewed by Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy podcast host) where Miley was cheeky as ever, name-dropping all the boys she used to date (hi to the two Jeffs, iykyk).
Between the gossip, the bombshells, and one genuinely beautiful moment with her mum Tish that had me ugly crying, here’s everything you need to know…
Best Moments from the Hannahversary
1. The Full Breakdown of Her Crushes from her Teenhood – and I’m GAGGED
Miley said if she didn’t get the role of Hannah Montana, she would have happily gone back home for a boy named Jeff. (There was also another Jeff she used to date – and she was SO FOR REAL saying she still checks one of the Jeffs’ Facebook.) When she got the role and met Mitchel Musso, who played Oliver, she crushed on him hard (“Bye, Jeff!”). She also drops the bomb that she had a secret relationship with Dylan Sprouse – and as chaotic as ever, follows it up with: “It was a two for one! Like, bring the brother!” (Girl, gagged.) Then she reveals the whole reason the Jonas Brothers went on tour with her was because she didn’t want to be away from her then-boyfriend, Nick Jonas. (I’m obsessed.) THEN the icon goes on to say she had zero interest in Zac Efron’s High School Musical era. But the ripped, older version? YES.
2. The Dolly Parton Advice that Made Hannahversary Possible
Miley reveals that her Aunt Dolly’s career advice is why the anniversary special happened in the first place. Dolly once told her to tell everyone something is happening before it’s actually happening, build so much buzz around it and then they can’t take ‘no’ for an answer. In this case, ‘they’ was Disney. Miley kept telling the press a special was coming to celebrate 20 years of Hannah Montana when in reality, there was nothing. She relied on the loyal stans of the show to back her – and here we are.
3. Taylor Swift’s Cameo in the Hannah Montana Movie
According to Miley, casting Taylor Swift in the Hannah Montana Movie came down to a Disney decision – they were looking for someone who would authentically play music in a barn. Taylor had just started her career and, obviously, she could authentically play that part. What I also didn’t know was that Taylor Swift wrote the Hannah Montana Movie closing song, You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home. “Credit where credit’s due. Banger. She ate with that one,” says Miley.
4. Selena Gomez Said “You Created Culture, Babe”
Selena Gomez, who played Hannah’s pop rival Mikayla, also made an appearance on the special. The two apologised for how mean their characters were to each other, then Miley gifted Selena the iconic red Mikayla hat. If that wasn’t wholesome enough, Selena told Miley she created culture, to which Miley responded, “You too.” They walked off set together, reflecting on the fact that they’ve known each other for almost 20 years.
5. Chappell Roan’s Tribute
Okay, so fandom isn’t so happy about the Chappell Roan appearance, with some referencing the Mean Girls quote “she doesn’t even go here!”. Which, okay, is fair. But hear me out. I think the whole point of having Chappell on the show was to highlight Miley’s legacy for female pop stars who can unapologetically be themselves. “You literally walked so I could run. The world took it out on you,” Chappell told Miley. And she was right – Miley took such a brutal public bashing when she transitioned out of her sweet Hannah Montana persona, when all she wanted to do was to authentically express herself creatively.
6. She Got Real about the Loneliness
Amid all the fun and nostalgia, Miley opened up about how lonely it has been: “Sometimes I can feel lonely in this experience. There’s no one I can really sit with and say, this is what my life is like.” She went on to talk about how her parents paved a path of safety and love for her, and now she’s finding a new kind of love and building a life with someone.
7. The Moment With Her Mum That Had Me Ugly Crying
Tish Cyrus joins Miley to revisit Hannah Montana’s iconic rotating closet (the envy of every teenager back then), pulling outfits and wigs from throughout the years. In a heartfelt moment, Miley thanks Tish for everything – her mum taught her to stay present and keep true to herself, even when she was at risk of losing it all.’. What Miley is most proud about is who she is as a person, and she says that’s all because of her mum.
8. The Billy Ray Cyrus Reunion
Given the very public tensions in the Cyrus family in recent years, fans were shocked to see Billy make an appearance. Miley told Alex: “I’m really excited for him to be here, because I know how much our relationship means to everyone that watched this show… When the Cyrus family is good, everyone’s good.”
9. Miley is Finally ‘Living’ for Hannah
The emotional core of the entire special is that Miley spent years distancing herself from Hannah Montana, and now she’s finally made peace with it. “I used to think of Hannah as something separate for myself… What I’m loving about this special is my reclaiming of merging Hannah and Miley together. I [also] like a lot of Miley, so I wanna put them together.”
10. Wait, Her Sister Noah Cyrus Was a Set Extra the Whole Time?!
Noah Cyrus surprised Miley with a birthday cake to celebrate Hannah Montana’s 20th, but what came next was an even bigger treat. Turns out Noah was a background extra on the show every time they needed a little girl on set. What’s even cuter is that Noah, until now, tells everyone she’s Hannah Montana’s biggest fan. What a life, to have your favourite Disney character be your older sister.
Miley closed the special with a surprise for the fans who stayed loyal and grew up with her – a brand new song called Younger You.
“Hannah, she gave me my start. But my fans gave me this life.”
Banner Photos: Disney/Ser Baffo
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About the Author:
Vivien Beduya is a video journalist and content creator at Capsule. She’s most passionate about inclusive storytelling that centres underserved communities, women’s health, mental health, travel, food and the ways technology shapes our everyday lives. She made a bold (and terrifying) career switch to journalism in her late 20s after years across banking, insurance and travel.
She’s worked for NewstalkZB and TVNZ’s youth news platform Re: News, and has also been published on 1News, NZ Herald, and Stuff. She was selected by the Asia New Zealand Foundation as an emerging journalist for the Splice Beta 2025 delegation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Vivien lives in Auckland with her partner, close(ish) to the beach, and is always on the hunt for Auckland’s best affordable eats.
You can read other stories by Vivien here or email her here.
