Miley Cyrus Sparks Debate With Her Take On ‘Disney Gays’ VS. ‘Nickelodeon Gays’

Miley Cyrus is in full promo mode as she gears up for the release of her highly anticipated album "Something Beautiful," dropping May 30.

Ahead of its release, Miley Cyrus stopped by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" where she dished on everything from her Disney Channel roots to the unexpected way her LGBTQ+ friends react to "Hannah Montana."

Cyrus, who rose to fame as the star of "Hannah Montana" in 2006, reflected on her early days playing a teen living a double life as an international pop star. The role catapulted her into global stardom and laid the foundation for her evolution into a bold, genre-defying music icon.

When Jimmy Kimmel asked the last time she'd watched an episode of the show, Cyrus shared a hilarious observation, "I'm surrounded by gays. There's a big difference… there's Nickelodeon gays and Disney gays," she explained. "Nickelodeon… no offense, but in general, they do, like, boogers and bro jokes. And Disney, I would like to think, is a little bit more fabulous, especially if it's about a teenage pop star wearing a wig, being the most famous drag queen for kids, ever."

She admitted to being "offended" when some of her gay friends didn't initially understand the "Hannah Montana" hype.

"I'm like, 'You're gay and you don't live for 'Hannah Montana'? What's wrong with you?' So I introduced them to Hannah, and obviously, they were gagged. They're obsessed with her."

After hearing her comments, social media erupted with mixed opinions and emotions.

"Miley Cyrus ain't wrong though," one person wrote alongside a photo of Demi Lovato and Raven-Symone. "Disney built a lot of gay actors' careers."

"She raised an entire generation of girls and gays, and I'm so proud to be a part of it," another said.

"I understood this immediately because not only did Disney have the better shows, it was definitely more lgbtq friendly," a third claimed.

Others, however, weren't fans of how Miley went about the topic. "Let's not treat gays like an aesthetic challenge," one X user wrote.

"Whatever that means," another said.

"So she sexualizes her younger self for adult men in drag? WTF?" another individual wrote.

Someone else also compared the two networks, sharing, "Nick gave chaos and cartoons. Disney gave sequins and secret identities. Both shaped a whole generation."

Miley Cyrus may have traded her blonde wig and pop star alter ego for a bold, genre-defying music career, but her complicated feelings about her Disney Channel past continue to shape her story.

The singer has long been candid about the emotional toll of playing Hannah Montana, a role that catapulted her to fame in 2006 and defined her teenage years. She alluded to that chapter in her single "Used to Be Young," a vulnerable ballad that explores the weight of growing up in the public eye.

"I carried some guilt and shame around myself for years because of how much controversy and upset I really caused," Cyrus admitted in a May 2023 interview with British Vogue. Reflecting on her time as a Disney darling, she opened up about the internal struggles that came with portraying the polished, all-American teen pop star.

Despite the personal challenges, Cyrus has also shown deep appreciation for the experience and the fans who supported her.

Miley Cyrus also opened up about "Something Beautiful" and the accompanying film she created to bring the music to life.

"The music is the story. Every song is storytelling, essentially," she told Kimmel during her recent appearance. "There was no need for characterization because I'm the character, and I never want to become something or someone that I'm not."

She closed the night with a powerful performance of "More to Lose," a track from the upcoming album. Draped in a long blazer with a hood, Cyrus delivered a raw, emotional rendition of the song, which explores the pain of holding onto a relationship past its expiration.