Miley Cyrus has often shared her mixed feelings toward her breakout television series, Hannah Montana. While the series took its toll on her, it was also rough on her younger sister, Noah.
Ahead of her upcoming debut album, The Hardest Part, Noah Cyrus spoke with Rolling Stone about her anxiety, which spawned into an addiction to Xanax. In the interview, she mentioned that her anxiety stemmed partly from growing up in a family that was constantly under the spotlight — especially when Miley was on Hannah Montana.
“I had a really hard time being a part of a public family, and I struggled a bit with that, because it wasn’t exactly my first choice,” said Noah. “I had a hard time with people coming up to me and saying, ‘Are you Miley Cyrus’ little sister,’ or, ‘Are you Hannah Montana’s little sister?’ I did not like that, and it stripped me of my own identity for a long time.”
Noah revealed that there were times she’d reply “no” when asked if she was related to Miley.
As a child, Cyrus enjoyed riding horses at Far West Farms in Los Angeles. Training under acclaimed rider Nick Karazissis allowed her a reprieve from unwanted attention.
“Obviously, I had a family that was split up a lot,” Noah said. “Here I had something so permanent. […] They would always make sure that when I came here I was Noah. I wasn’t a Cyrus, I was just Noah.”
The Hardest Part is out 9/16 via Columbia Records. Pre-save it here.
