Miley Cyrus reveals on Carpool Karaoke how twerking at the VMAs made her an LGBT activist
(YouTube/the late late show with James Corden)
Miley Cyrus has said that her VMAs appearance with Robin Thicke made her the activist she is today during a stunning appearance on Carpool Karaoke.
The singer, who came out as pansexual last year, has been active in promoting and helping LGBT people for years.
In 2015, Miley used her Happy Hippie Foundation to launch a campaign to highlight issues faced by young trans people, teaming up with Instagram to establish #InstaPride.
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Last year, she leant her support to the campaign for a federal equalities act, wearing “Make America Gay Again” clothes to drive home the point.
And Miley, who has also been at the forefront of the Free The Nipple movement, was vocal in her opposition to two hateful bills filed in Tennessee.
The bills would have rolled back the rights of transgender people – banning trans women from using female bathrooms as well as banning LGBT discrimination protections.
But before that, in 2013, she hit the headlines for her twerk-heavy VMAs performance with Blurred Lines singer Robin Thicke.
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And Miley, who revealed she was gender-neutral earlier this year, told James Corden that it was this moment – and the subsequent reaction – which changed her.
“The first VMAs in 2013 – Robin Thicke, twerking – led me to be the activist I am today,” she said.
“Because I realised that if that many people were going to talk about something that I did, then I should make it a good thing.
(YouTube/the late late show with James Corden)
“I should make it something that can change people’s lives, rather than be a controversial conversation that does nothing but become a fun Halloween costume for people.”
The star, who just released a new album, Younger Now, said she had an impulse “when I first stopped doing Hannah Montana to say: ‘I’m not that. I want you to know who I really am.'”
But, she said, “I love that that was me, and is a part of me.
“I’ve allowed that childhood self to shine through a little bit more because I’m not trying to run away from it, I’m down to embrace it.
(YouTube/the late late show with James Corden)
“And I think everyone should embrace who they used to be, because it’s made you who you are now,” she explained.
Miley also readily admitted that she was “10/10” high while filming the iconic Wrecking Ball video, in which she swings, naked, on the titular wrecking ball and licks a sledgehammer.
After Corden and her belted out other hits like Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, The Climb and Party in the USA, she said she had enjoyed it – but added: “It would’ve been more fun if we’d hotboxed this thing.”
(YouTube/the late late show with James Corden)
Harry Styles also made an appearance to sing with James Corden in a skin-tight gold leather top earlier this year.
Another huge pop star, Britney Spears, discussed her kids, getting spanked at school and getting tickled for a very long time when she sang with James Corden last year.
Ariana Grande performed in a glorious Carpool Karaoke in August – in a scene which almost saw her get into a car crash.
(YouTube/The Late Late Show with James Corden)
Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham even cracked a rare smile when she did the segment.
And Adele – who helped a gay couple get engaged earlier this year, and has invited multiple drag queens on stage at her concerts – starred on the show last year.
Watch Miley on Carpool Karaoke here:
