Miley Cyrus’ August 25 Connection Takes on New Meaning After Dolly Parton’s Death
For Miley Cyrus, August 25 has long been a date marked by major personal and professional milestones. Now, the day carries an especially painful significance: it is also the date she lost her beloved godmother, country music legend Dolly Parton.
Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 80 after what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer. Her death added another deeply personal chapter to a date Cyrus has previously described as historically important to both her life and career.
Cyrus, 33, paid tribute to Parton following the news, writing on social media: “I can’t believe we just lost the purest soul. Rest in Glory, Dolly. My heart aches.”
The connection between the two women goes back decades. Parton became Cyrus’ godmother in 1992, and their relationship remained close throughout Cyrus’ childhood and adult life.
Why August 25 has always stood out to Miley
Cyrus herself has acknowledged the unusual pattern surrounding August 25.
While promoting her 2023 single Used to Be Young, she explained why she deliberately chose the date for its release.
“I decided to release Used To Be Young on August 25 because this particular date historically has been important to me personally and in my career,” she said.
Looking back, the date has indeed been attached to several defining moments.
In 2010, news emerged that Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth had ended their relationship after dating for a year. Their romance would continue through several breakups and reconciliations before ultimately coming to an end.
The couple eventually became engaged, called off their relationship in 2014, and rekindled their romance before becoming engaged again in 2016. They married in December 2018, but separated the following year.
On August 25, 2019, Hemsworth officially filed for divorce from Cyrus, citing irreconcilable differences.
The day that changed her career
August 25, 2013, brought another pivotal moment.
Cyrus released Wrecking Ball, a song that would become the first single of her career to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The same day, she appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards alongside Robin Thicke in a performance that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of her career. Wearing a nude latex bikini, Cyrus twerked onstage and used a giant foam finger in a provocative performance that drew widespread attention.
The controversy surrounding the appearance became part of a larger transformation for Cyrus, who was moving decisively beyond her earlier image as a Disney child star.
Years later, she reflected on the significance of that period in an interview for Wonderland’s 2018 spring issue.
“Not only was culture changed, but my life and career were changed forever,” she said.
Cyrus also said the experience encouraged her to use her public platform for causes she believed could have a broader impact.
“It inspired me to use my platform for something much bigger. If the world is going to focus on me and what I am doing, then what I am doing should be impactful and it should be great.”
Turning controversy into a cause
The following year, Cyrus used the MTV Video Music Awards to draw attention to homeless young people.
At the 2014 ceremony, a homeless youth named Jesse Helt accepted an award in her honor.
Cyrus subsequently emphasized her commitment to helping homeless teenagers and encouraging her fans to become involved.
“I’m just getting started,” she said in a statement shared with E News. “And I want to make sure my fans are part of helping me to give back and make an impact on this issue – we all have the power to make change happen.”
She added: “This is about helping youth, people just like you and me have the opportunity to find their inner power and potential, no matter what their circumstances.”
Used to Be Young and a look back
Nearly a decade after the events of 2013, Cyrus returned to August 25 with Used to Be Young in 2023.
The song was reflective in tone, looking back at an earlier period of her life and the way she had changed over time.
Its lyrics include: “I know I used to be crazy / I know I used to be fun / You say I used to be wild / I say I used to be young.”
Cyrus said the song had actually been written two years before its release.
“It was at a time I felt misunderstood. I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you,” she said.
The choice of August 25 therefore carried significance beyond the release itself. The date had already been connected to major turning points in Cyrus’ relationships, career and personal growth.
It also has a family connection: August 25 is the birthday of her father, Billy Cyrus, who was born in 1961.
Dolly Parton’s lasting place in Miley’s life
Now, August 25 has another meaning that Cyrus is likely to carry with her for the rest of her life.
Parton was far more than Cyrus’ godmother. She was a mentor, collaborator and familiar presence throughout the singer’s life.
Parton also appeared alongside Cyrus on Hannah Montana, playing Aunt Dolly. She spoke warmly about her goddaughter over the years, once saying: “I’m so proud of her, love her and she’s just like one of my own.”
The two also performed together and collaborated musically, maintaining their close relationship as Cyrus’ career evolved.
Parton’s death was initially confirmed in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Brian, who also served as her head of security.
According to TMZ, Parton had been hospitalized on Friday at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center with autoimmune and kidney problems. The extent of her private health battle became clearer only after news of her death emerged.
Her passing came after months of health concerns and a series of canceled public appearances, which had prompted growing concern among fans about her wellbeing.
People close to the singer said she had become increasingly private about her health in recent months.
Her representatives later confirmed to People that Parton had died following a “brief battle with cancer,” although they did not disclose the type of cancer.
In a statement, Parton’s representatives remembered the extraordinary impact she had made throughout her life and career.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” the statement read.
“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
The statement also pointed to the enormous reach of Parton’s generosity, emphasizing that she helped countless people she would never personally meet.
Her representatives highlighted projects including the hundreds of millions of books distributed through her Imagination Library and funding for research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world.
“Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact,” they said.
For Cyrus, that legacy is now tied forever to a date that had already played an extraordinary role in her story. August 25 has been associated with career breakthroughs, relationship milestones, family and personal reflection. It will now also be remembered as the day she lost one of the most important people in her life.