Miley Cyrus Joked About ‘Bangerz’ Era, Got Emotional in Disney Legend Speech

At Disney’s D23 event this past weekend, Miley Cyrus was honored as a Disney Legend, an accolade that recognizes her significant contributions as a major Disney Channel star during her Hannah Montana days.

In her acceptance speech, she took a moment to reflect on her journey, peppering her words with humor. She joked about her Bangerz era, saying, “The Burbank office is where it’s rumored they create all of us Disney kids. I definitely wasn’t created in a lab, and if I was there must have been a bug in the system which caused me to malfunction somewhere between the years 2013 and 2016.”

However, Cyrus also struck a more emotional tone at times. She expressed her deep connection to her past role, saying, “I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana. […] This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality. To quote the legend herself, ‘This is the life.'”

Other honorees at the ceremony included Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In a press release ahead of the event, Disney CEO Bob Iger described the honor of being named a Disney Legend: “To be named a Disney Legend is the highest honor our company can bestow on anyone, reserved for those whose talent and achievement have earned them an enduring place in our history. The fourteen individuals to be honored as Disney Legends this year have each made extraordinary creative contributions across the worlds of Disney and we look forward to celebrating them at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.”

Watch the speech here.