Miley Cyrus Reveals the “Terrible Habit” She Learned From Dolly Parton

Hannah Montana fans may have Dolly Parton to thank for the show’s upcoming 20th anniversary special. In an interview with Variety, Miley Cyrus revealed the “terrible habit” she picked up from Parton that led to the special being green lit.

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“I learned this terrible habit—but I actually think it was good advice—from Dolly,” Cyrus told the outlet of her famous godmother. ”She told me that if you want something to happen, promote it before it exists. Then no one can say no. ”

Cyrus took that advice and ran, and she “just started promoting a Hannah Montana 20th-anniversary special that literally did not exist.”

Fans, predictably, freaked out about the then-untrue news. Cyrus sent many of those online reactions to Disney along with a message: “I’m telling you, this would be huge.”

It wasn’t just online chatter that convinced Cyrus the idea could work, but her real-life experiences too.

“I think even Disney sometimes forgets the connection between me and Hannah,” Cyrus said. “It’s not just a TV show. I see daily how important Hannah is to people. When I travel, people bring me  Hannah merch. They ask, ‘Are you ever going to do another season?’”

What to Know About the Hannah Montana Anniversary Special

Now, the hour-long anniversary special is set to premiere March 24 on Disney+.

“She willed it into existence,” Disney exec Charlie Andrews told the outlet. “The thing she was adamant about is that this is for the fans. That has gone into literally every decision she has made.”  

With that in mind, Cyrus knew one thing for sure.

“I didn’t want to do this modern approach to Hannah,” she said. “I wanted to keep it preserved. But also, now Hannah wears Gucci. She’s elevated. She’s gotta look a little less Galleria.”

While some artists may be concerned about returning to a role that made them famous, for Cyrus “it felt like home again.”

“A lot of artists feel like to become the next version of themselves, they have to leave something behind, but I’d rather be more like a gorgeous patchwork blanket,” she said. “I’d rather take every little piece of all the things that I’ve been and create a mosaic of exactly who I am now—not trashing any of that past but allowing it to come with me.”

Photo by Katherine Bomboy/NBC via Getty Images