Miley Cyrus Says Disney Paid Her Less Than Anyone Else On ‘Hannah Montana’


Miley Cyrus may be a superstar now with a net worth of $150 million and a highly coveted role on The Voice but things weren’t always that easy. Cyrus recently opened up about the role that made her a household name and it seems that Disney may have taken advantage of their star when it came to paychecks. Miley revealed that at one time, she was the least paid person on Disney’s Hannah Montana even though she played the main character.

Miley and her famous dad Billy Ray Cyrus have both said some pretty harsh things about Disney in the past but she has never talked about her paycheck like this before. In a recent interview with Elle, Miley let loose on the children’s network for taking advantage of her excitement to play such a major role for such a huge company.

“I did not grow up spoiled in any way. I just wanted to be on TV. I mean, at one point—they’ll probably kill me for saying it—I was probably the least paid person on my cast because I didn’t know any better,” Miley said. “I was just like, ‘I can be on Disney! Yeah, I want to do it!”

Miley Cyrus played Miley Stewart and her alter-ego Hannah Montana on the Disney hit from 2006 through 2011 when the show was ultimately canceled. Miley admitted to being very excited about landing the role and felt like her casting was a dream come true. She has said in the past that her dream quickly turned into a nightmare.

Cyrus said that her contract for Hannah Montana earned her just $15,000 per episode. While that may sound like a lot of cash, especially for a child star, in comparison to what other kids her age were making for similar or sometimes even smaller roles, it was chump change.

Hannah Montana was one of the most successful TV shows that ever graced the Disney Channel. The show’s premiere was the most successful with more than five million viewers tuning in. Between the show itself and all of the merchandise that came with it, it’s no secret that Disney was making hand over fist money with Hannah Montana so it’s pretty shocking that they would pay the star peanuts compared to what other stars made in the business.

It turns out that Miley Cyrus and her family learned another lesson with the whole Disney debacle. While Miley (or really probably one of her parents) gave Disney permission to use her name for the lead character that she would be playing, that turned into a legal hassle too.

“My name was Miley on my show, but I didn’t own my name—we didn’t think about that,” Miley revealed. “Like, ‘Yeah, you can use my name on your show, sure!’ My mom started understanding how many people take advantage of a child, so she hired smart people to protect me in that way. I’m happy that when I was younger, people protected me and put me in a position where I can now control my music.”

Thankfully there is a happy ending for Miley Cyrus, who began to rebel during her last seasons on Hannah Montana, prompting the cancellation of the Disney hit. The former Disney star has become a superstar performer in her own right and just started working as a coach on Season 11 of The Voice. After years of turbulence in the romance department, it seems that Miley has settled down again with Liam Hemsworth and rumor has it that they once again are planning a wedding. Even though Miley is a bit wilder than anyone at Disney ever could have imagined, she has come into her own and finally seems to be comfortable in her own skin and she’s certainly not hurting for money.

[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]

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