Miley Cyrus has shocked fans with a deeply personal confession — admitting that she lied to her former fiancé, Liam Hemsworth, for almost a decade about one of the most intimate parts of her past. In a new interview that’s reignited interest in one of Hollywood’s most talked-about relationships, the singer revealed she falsely claimed he was her first sexual partner — a lie she said came from fear, shame, and a desperate desire to be loved for who she was, not what she’d done.
“I didn’t want him to think less of me,” Miley confessed during a candid sit-down for The Howard Stern Show. “When we first started dating, I told him he was my first. But that wasn’t true. I was just scared. I thought if he knew the truth, he might see me differently — and I loved him too much to risk that.”
The singer, who met Hemsworth while filming The Last Song in 2009, said the lie began as a small attempt to protect her image, but over time, it became a painful secret she carried throughout their on-and-off relationship. “Once I said it, I couldn’t take it back,” she said. “And the longer it went on, the harder it got to tell him the truth.”
“Miley Cyrus admits she lied to Liam Hemsworth about being a virgin when they first dated — ‘I was terrified of losing him.’” @people
Miley revealed that she finally confessed years later — not long before their brief marriage in 2018. “I told him the truth, and he just laughed,” she recalled. “He said, ‘That’s what you were so scared to tell me?’ But by then, the damage was done. I wasn’t lying to hurt him. I was lying because I didn’t think I was enough.”
Her revelation has sparked massive discussion online, with fans calling the confession “raw,” “heartbreaking,” and “surprisingly relatable.” Many praised the “Flowers” singer for her honesty about shame and emotional insecurity in young relationships. “It’s wild how many people lie about things like that out of fear of being judged,” one commenter wrote on X. “Miley’s just brave enough to say it out loud.”
The singer said her upbringing in the spotlight — and her early Disney fame — made her feel like she had to live up to an impossible standard of innocence. “Everyone saw me as Hannah Montana,” she told Rolling Stone. “There was this pressure to be pure, perfect, and untouched. I think I carried that shame into my adult life.”
“‘I grew up being told girls lose value after sex. That’s why I lied.’ — Miley Cyrus.” @guardian
Miley said that for years, she struggled with the guilt of her secret. “I’d see him look at me with love, and I’d think, ‘If you only knew…,’” she admitted. “It’s such a heavy thing to carry in a relationship — pretending to be something you’re not because you’re scared of not being loved if you are.”
Though the couple’s relationship officially ended in 2020, the confession has cast a new emotional light on their tumultuous history. “When I finally told him, he was kind,” she said. “But it didn’t fix the fact that I’d spent so long hiding from my own truth. You can’t build a forever on a lie, even a small one.”
Hemsworth has not publicly commented on the revelation, but insiders told E! News that the two remain “cordial and respectful.” One source close to the actor said, “He always knew Miley had walls up. She came from fame and chaos — he understood more than people think.”
Fans have shared countless clips and throwbacks of the former couple on social media, reminiscing about their chemistry and complicated love story. Under one viral TikTok video showing the pair from their early days, a fan wrote: “You can see how much she wanted to be enough for him. That’s what makes this confession so heartbreaking.”
“Fans say Miley’s honesty about her past shows how much she’s grown since her Hannah Montana days.” @hollywoodreporter
In the interview, Miley said she’s learned to forgive herself — and hopes her story will help other young women let go of the shame society places on female sexuality. “If I could talk to my younger self,” she said, “I’d tell her you don’t owe anyone purity. You owe yourself truth.”
“For years, I thought love meant pretending to be someone else,” she added. “Now I know it means being honest — even when it’s ugly.”
Her confession, which fans have described as “Miley’s most vulnerable moment yet,” comes just weeks after her emotional Grammy acceptance speech went viral for its heartfelt gratitude toward her family and fans. “I used to hide so much,” she said. “Now, I’m just done hiding.”
“‘You don’t owe anyone purity — you owe yourself truth.’ Miley Cyrus opens up about love, shame, and honesty.” @reuters
As the internet continues to dissect her words, one thing is clear: this is a very different Miley from the rebellious pop star who once tried to burn her Disney image. This is a woman who’s found her voice by finally telling the truth — even when it hurts.