This Emotional Clip Of Dolly Parton And Miley Cyrus Reflecting On “Hannah Montana” Is Going Viral In The Wake Of Dolly’s Death, And It’s Breaking My Heart

Posted 3 hours ago

Yesterday, Aug. 25, Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80. And when her family announced the news, many people's first thoughts turned to her famous goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.

For context, Dolly developed a close friendship with Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, while touring together in the early '90s. So, when Miley's mom, Tish, fell pregnant in 1992, Billy Ray asked Dolly if she'd be the godmother to their baby girl.

Being that she and her husband, Carl, never had children, Dolly very much treated Miley as her own, and the two maintained a very close bond — not just personally, but professionally, too.

We've had the joy of seeing them perform together on numerous occasions, and even before Miley's music career took off, the duo shared the screen in three memorable episodes of Hannah Montana.

As any 2000s kid will remember, Aunt Dolly's cameos were not only hilarious but also a testament to her and Miley's strong bond, both on and off camera. On top of that, Dolly's involvement in the Disney Channel world helped introduce her to an entirely new generation of fans.

In the wake of her passing, videos of Dolly's greatest moments from throughout the years are circulating online. And there's one specific clip of Miley and Dolly from 2022 that is making people especially emotional.

As part of a TV Christmas special for NBC, Dolly and Miley reflected on their Hannah Montana days and the impact the show had on Dolly's career in the 2000s and beyond. "I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart, I'm really proud of you. I've always been proud of you, and I'm proud to be your fairy godmother," Dolly said to Miley, who beamed opposite her.

"And, you know, one thing that touches me most of all is when you had me on the Hannah Montana show back years ago," she said. "You really helped my career; you introduced me to a whole new set of fans. Young ones! Though of course they're not all as young as they used to be now."

To this, Miley replied: "Well, you wrote the handbook on how to stay young," prompting Dolly to fire back, "Well, I've got the doctor’s bills to prove that."

"And when the time comes, you're giving me all the numbers," Miley cheekily responded. "I bet it looks like the Yellow Pages by now."

This clip — which you can watch here — is yet more proof of the beautiful, playful bond between these two, and, understandably, it's making people all kinds of emotional, particularly those who were first introduced to Dolly through Hannah.

Miley issued a statement about Dolly's death this afternoon, writing on Instagram: "The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts."

"What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis. 🦋," she continued. "I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things. 💖"

Miley's dad, Billy Ray, also penned a tribute to his late friend on Instagram, beginning: "I have so many moments and memories with Dolly, it’s hard to know where to start. Like every little boy, I grew up loving Dolly Parton. She was a part of our lives, on our TV’s, right in our living rooms."

"In 1992, I’ll never forget walking into her dressing room to apologize for all the tabloid stories which claimed I was having an affair with her. In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, 'Honey, this trash sells records!'" he wrote. "Dolly recently sent me a beautiful message, telling me she loved me with her whole heart. I will always love her in the same way ….. with my whole heart … and I always will."

Dolly's team confirmed that she died following a "brief battle with cancer." The 80-year-old icon passed away at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, surrounded by loved ones. We'll keep you posted with any updates, but, for now, we're sending all the love to Dolly's friends and family — especially Miley.

Comments