Miley Cyrus Reveals She Felt 'Body Shamed' After Her 2013 VMAs Performance

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Miley Cyrus is stepping into the next stage of her life. No longer is she the crazy, impulsive show-stopper that she became after making it big in the music business. Cyrus is taking a 'step-back' approach to life and aiming to help people get through some of their darkest times. It seems, now might be better than ever, with the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on the world and people feeling the effects of isolation and loss, whether that's to loved ones or employment.

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To generate positive feelings, Cyrus created a YouTube video channel talk show called 'Bright Minded: Live With Miley'. In her most recent installment, which aired on March 17, she had the surprise guest, Demi Lovato, appear on the show.

The two spoken in great detail about body positivity and how their own life stories related to dealing with people who 'body-shamed' them. Cyrus began the segment, recalling her performance at the 2013 VMAs where she was seen wearing a latex outfit and 'twerking' on the then relevant, Robin Thicke.

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The 'Wrecking Ball' singer shared that following the performance, countless jokes and memes were made about her resembling a 'turkey', subsequently resulting in the artist feeling very self-conscious. In fact, Cyrus revealed that she didn't wear a bikini for years following the incident.

"I stopped wearing skirts on stage, all this s--t because after the VMAs and I had on my cute little nude bodysuit, everyone started comparing me to a turkey and putting a turkey on my outfit," she told Lovato on the program. "I was just so skinny and so pasty and they kept putting me next to this turkey, and I was feeling so bad on myself that I did not wear a bikini for like two years."

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For Cyrus, she was never about trying to garner headlines as to just how radical she was during performances. It was more about the singer showing that she was comfortable with who she was. Cyrus wanted that confidence vibe to rub off on other women. The beratement she received following the 2013 VMAs only squandered her confidence, though.

"The worse thing that I would feel like I would be to my fans is lying or a fraud," Cyrus explained to Lovato. "I felt like having this persona of being the most confident girl on the planet was actually kind of fraud because I was so insecure on the inside that in my personal life I wasn’t even wearing bathing suits and shorts."

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Demi Lovato heard those comments and could really resonate with them. For her, she was coerced into being someone she wasn't, especially as it pertains to her body. She was kept on a strict diet by her team and even worked out to the point of exhaustion, all in the name of being 'skinny' and 'easy on the eyes'. It was a dark time for Lovato.

"My message was that I was so confident but in reality, I was working out so much and eating such a strict diet that I wasn't confident," she said. "Now I feel like I'm more confident than I was back then. And I might be heavier than I was, but I'm more confident now. And that's better to me."