Miley Cyrus spoke about the emotional trauma that filming the series caused her right after her house burned down.
The talented singer and actress Miley Cyrus, known for her artistic versatility, debuted in the popular Netflix series, Black Mirror, in 2018, with the episode Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too. In the said episode, Miley played a world-famous pop star who is subdued and physically exploited by her own aunt. The production included a standout musical number titled On a Roll.
What few know is that Cyrus had to face a painful personal experience during the filming of that episode. Just one day after losing her home in a devastating wildfire in Woolsey, California, which destroyed numerous properties in the area, the artist was forced to film intense scenes for the fifth season of Black Mirror.
Speaking about her traumatic experience, Miley Cyrus, who is currently promoting her new single, Used to Be Young, openly shared details of that dark chapter in her life. "I discovered that my house had burned to the ground. This (the episode) was the next day. The show must go on," said the artist, reflecting the pressure and commitment she felt as a professional despite the personal loss of her.
However, filming scenes in which her character was restrained and strapped to her stretcher left deep emotional scars on her. Miley admitted that she had long associated this feeling with the loss of her home and that she experienced bouts of anxiety linked to recurring dreams in which she was similarly bound.
"Perhaps two or three years following the incident, she struggled to comprehend it, but she began experiencing anxiety attacks coupled with a recurring vision: being confined to a stretcher," she disclosed. "Consequently, she would have these dreams every time she was about to take the stage."
Those nightmares reminded her that she had not yet fully overcome the trauma of losing her home in the fire. Miley explained: "I thought it was just an anxious vision that made no sense. But while my house was burning, they tied me to a stretcher with my hands cuffed."
The loss of the home she shared with her then-boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth, moved Cyrus. She shared her sentiments on social media at the time, expressing being "completely devastated" by the news, though she also considered herself "one of the lucky ones" to have escaped with her pets unharmed. The singer expressed her gratitude to the firefighters and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Shortly after the loss of her home, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth held a private wedding, but their marriage lasted only seven months. Although no details about her split were released at the time, the singer revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2020 that she rushed into the marriage to deal with her grief over the loss of her home. "In a way, she did what I couldn't do for myself," she said. "She distanced me from what no longer served her purpose."
Miley explained that, in times of trauma, people tend to look for a "lifeline," and at the time, she romanticized her marriage as a way to save herself from tragedy. "I think that's really what getting married ultimately was for me. A last attempt to save myself," the artist concluded.
Cyrus's courageous opening about her traumatic experience during the filming of Black Mirror and her personal healing process reveals the complexity and depth of the life of one of the most iconic stars of our time.
