For the last few weeks I'd been hearing about the GQ interview with Billy Ray Cyrus, father of Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana. In the interview, Cyrus says that the Disney show "Hannah Montana", which starred his teenage daughter Miley as the main character, ruined his family.
I finally had a chance to sit down and read the whole interview last week, and I have to admit that I was pretty surprised by what Mr. Cyrus had to say:
"How many interviews did I give and say, 'You know what's important between me and Miley is I try to be a friend to my kids'? I said it a lot. And sometimes I would even read other parents might say, 'You don't need to be a friend, you need to be a parent.' Well, I'm the first guy to say to them right now: You were right. I should have been a better parent. I should have said, 'Enough is enough—it's getting dangerous and somebody's going to get hurt.' I should have, but I didn't. Honestly, I didn't know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere."
In other portions of the interview he admits to being manipulated by Miley's handlers to legitimize some of the questionable decisions made by her or on her behalf:
"All those people around, they used me every time. It became so obvious that, man, no matter what happens, they're going to put you up there and let you take the bullet."
When he heard about her upcoming eighteenth-birthday party, he decided he wasn't going to play that role anymore.
"You know why I didn't go? Because they were having it in a bar. It was wrong. It was for 21 years old and up. Once again all them people, they all wanted me to fly out so that then when all the bad press came they could say, 'Daddy endorsed this stuff....' I started realizing I'm being used. If I would have went out there I would have been right in the middle of all this stuff that's going on right now with the bong. (A video of Miley smoking a bong surfaced last December. Her reps say she smoking the legal high salvia.) They'd be hanging it on my ass. I had the common sense... I said, 'This whole thing's falling apart up there and they just want to blame all of this stuff on you again.' I'm staying out of it."
Because you felt you were just expected always to say everything's okay?
"That's right. And it's not okay."
I have to admit that as much as I've found myself disappointed with Cyrus' seeming endorsements of his teen daughter's questionable actions in the past, this interview has inspired a newfound sympathy and respect for the man. What I read came across as sincere and full of remorse. As a parent, I can't help but feel sorry for someone who realizes too late that they've let their child down. And now she's paying the price for his mistakes.
The fact that he can admit to his mistakes and take responsibility for them, and in such a public way, is a humbling feat for any man. Normally, I don't approve of the airing of dirty laundry by celebrities and such, but in this case, considering the publicity surrounding Miley and the family's problems, a public acknowledgement of responsibility is somehow reassuring. And perhaps this will serve as a lesson to other parents who find themselves tempted to let others usurp their authority when it comes to raising and disciplining thier children.
It's simply not worth it.
Good post...while it's nice for a man to admit his mistakes, it's too little, too late for his daughter. I wouldn't be surprised if she follows in the footsteps of Brittney Spears and yes, it's the parent's fault for allowing what they've allowed in their daughter's life.
I sincerely believe that parents needs to be accountable for how they raise their children. It is one of the most important jobs on the planet and too many people treat this job as if it's a hobby.
Sometimes, I just want to say...Wake up, people! If you push your daughter towards Hollywood, chances are, she's going to end up ruined.
Posted by: Cady Driver | March 04, 2011 at 04:56 PM
Cady, I agree that for Miley it's too little, too late. However, I commend him for being open about the lessons he's learned and not making excuses. May it be a lesson for other parents.
I sincerely wish the entire Cyrus family all the best in their efforts to move forward and heal.
Posted by: Melissa May | March 04, 2011 at 07:35 PM
...it's too little, too late for his daughter. I wouldn't be surprised if she follows in the footsteps of Brittney Spears...
As was predicted in the final scene of this episode of South Park.
"The Corn Harvest will be even better next year..."
Posted by: Headless Unicorn Guy | March 14, 2011 at 08:16 PM
These are some of the prices you pay for fame. A lot of parents are guilty about being too lenient to their teens, but it makes it even harder for Mr. Cyrus to control his daughter since a lot of outside influences are involved in his teen's life. He should have not let showbiz affect his way of parenting his daughter because he definitely had more right to her since she's still a minor. This should serve as a lesson to all parents of young artists as well as normal families in general. Parents should make sure that their kids know their limits and the same time giving them assurance that their parents are there for them whenever they need them.
Posted by: Willow @ Turning Winds | March 24, 2011 at 08:58 AM
I've heard that Billy Ray WASNT HER MANAGER!! I would never have allowed my daughter to be in a situation like that (maybe the situation was bad with him and his wife and he was powerless to stop it) if Destiny Hope was to be in a movie, he should have been the MANAGER since he was already famous by then (Destiny Hope IS her real name)
Posted by: jubilee | April 07, 2011 at 02:27 AM
ooohhhh I hope she doesn't go the way of Katy Perry!! she's vile and both of her parents are pastors!!
Posted by: jubilee | April 07, 2011 at 02:29 AM