12 Years Later: The Shocking Truth Behind Miley Cyrus And Robin Thicke's VMA Performance And Miley's Recent Regrets

The infamous 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance by Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke remains one of pop culture’s most indelible and controversial moments, a spectacle that defined an era and sparked a global conversation about sexuality, race, and celebrity reinvention. As of December 2025, over a decade later, the event is no longer just a memory but a touchstone for cultural critique, with Cyrus herself offering fresh, candid reflections that redefine the narrative of her audacious "Bangerz" era.

This deep dive explores the current, updated perspective on the performance, contrasting Miley Cyrus's recent apologies and admissions of personal cost with the original intentions and the lasting cultural fallout. From the moment the giant foam finger appeared to the subsequent maelstrom of media coverage, the duet of "We Can't Stop" and "Blurred Lines" was a calculated shockwave that, in Cyrus's own words, "changed her life forever."

The Architects of Controversy: A Dual Biography

The 2013 VMA performance was a collision of two artists at pivotal moments in their careers. Understanding their individual journeys provides crucial context for the explosive nature of their collaboration.

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Miley Cyrus (Destiny Hope Cyrus)

• Born: November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee.
• Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Actress.
• Key Eras: Hannah Montana (2006–2011), Bangerz (2013–2014), Younger Now (2017), Plastic Hearts (2020), Endless Summer Vacation (2023).
• VMA 2013 Context: The performance marked her dramatic, public transition from the innocent Disney Channel star 'Hannah Montana' to a provocative, adult pop artist. Her album Bangerz was a deliberate effort to shed her previous image and establish her artistic autonomy.
• Recent Retrospective: Has openly discussed the toll the 'Bangerz' era took, stating it caused her to lose relationships and later expressing regret for the "raunchiness" of the period.

Robin Thicke

• Born: March 10, 1977, in Los Angeles, California.
• Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer.
• Key Works: The single "Blurred Lines" (2013) and the album of the same name.
• VMA 2013 Context: He was riding the massive wave of success from "Blurred Lines," a song already mired in controversy over its lyrics and music video. The VMA performance was intended to be the peak of his commercial success.
• VMA Performance Outfit: A black and white striped suit, which stood in stark contrast to Cyrus's costume.
• Post-VMA Stance: Largely attempted to distance himself from the controversy, stating in a post-VMA interview on Oprah's Next Chapter that the focus should be on Cyrus, as the spectacle was "on her."

The Anatomy of a Cultural Reset: Why the VMA 2013 Performance Endures

On August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke took the stage to perform a medley of "We Can't Stop" and "Blurred Lines." What followed was a 15-minute spectacle that generated over 360,000 tweets per minute and became the most-tweeted-about event in VMA history.

The Shock Value Elements

The performance was meticulously designed for maximum shock value, featuring several key elements that cemented its place in pop culture infamy:

• The Costumes: Miley began in a bear-themed leotard before stripping down to a flesh-toned, nude two-piece PVC bikini. Robin Thicke wore a black and white striped suit that was perceived by many as an attempt to project a sense of innocence or detachment from the chaos.
• The Twerking and Foam Finger: The most talked-about moment involved Cyrus "twerking" against Thicke's groin area, using a giant foam finger in a series of simulated sexual acts. The inventor of the foam finger even publicly expressed his disapproval, stating Cyrus "turned off" fans with her use of the prop.
• The Celebrity Reactions: The live audience reactions became a viral meme in their own right. The stunned, unamused faces of celebrities like Will Smith and his family, though later clarified to have been reacting to Lady Gaga's performance, were widely circulated as the collective shock of the nation.

The Cultural Appropriation Critique

Beyond the immediate shock, the performance drew heavy, lasting criticism for its perceived cultural appropriation. Critics and commentators argued that Cyrus, a white artist, was appropriating elements of Black culture, specifically "twerking," while performing with Thicke, another white artist, on a song—"Blurred Lines"—that was already criticized for its misogynistic themes. This critique framed the performance not just as a provocative stunt, but as a problematic exploitation of Black cultural aesthetics for mainstream attention and profit, cementing the event as a significant moment in the ongoing conversation about race and pop music.

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Miley Cyrus's Fresh Retrospective: A Decade of Regret and Growth

In recent years, particularly in interviews leading up to and following her Endless Summer Vacation album, Miley Cyrus has offered a candid, adult perspective on the performance and the entire Bangerz era. These reflections are the most current and unique information available, providing a fresh lens on the 2013 spectacle.

The Personal Cost of Reinvention

Cyrus has openly acknowledged the negative impact of her radical transformation. In a high-profile interview on the "Reclaiming" podcast with Monica Lewinsky, she discussed how the intense backlash and her provocative image strained her personal life. She admitted that the era caused her to lose relationships, an emotional and professional toll she was unprepared for.

Intention vs. Impact

While acknowledging the "raunchiness," Cyrus has also defended the core intention, stating she wanted to "make history" and use her newfound platform "for something much bigger." The goal was to break free from the constraints of her 'Hannah Montana' past and prove her seriousness as an adult musician. She later apologized for the more extreme elements, recognizing that the shock value may have overshadowed her artistic message.

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Robin Thicke’s Enduring Silence

In contrast to Cyrus's years of public reflection and apologies, Robin Thicke’s public stance has remained largely consistent since 2013. His initial reaction was to deflect the attention, stating the focus of the controversy was "on her" and that he was simply playing his part. While he has expressed general regret for the period surrounding the "Blurred Lines" lawsuit and his divorce from Paula Patton, he has not offered a fresh, detailed apology or retrospective on the VMA incident itself in recent years (late 2024–2025). This difference in approach highlights the gendered nature of public scrutiny, where Cyrus, as the young female artist, bore the brunt of the media’s outrage and subsequent self-reflection.

The Lasting Legacy: A Pop Culture Thesis

The Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke VMA performance was more than a performance; it was a cultural thesis on the state of pop music and celebrity in the 2010s. It was a catalyst for the "shock value" era, a moment that demonstrated the power of the internet to instantly amplify and dissect celebrity actions, and a precursor to the intense scrutiny modern stars face.

For Miley Cyrus, the performance was a necessary, albeit painful, step in her evolution—a public severance from her past that ultimately paved the way for her current success as an acclaimed, Grammy-winning artist. For Robin Thicke, it became a footnote in a period of his career marred by the "Blurred Lines" plagiarism lawsuit and personal struggles. The VMA 2013 duet, with its foam finger, twerking, and nude bodysuit, remains a powerful case study in how a single, highly-charged performance can shape careers, ignite cultural debates, and continue to demand retrospective analysis a decade later.