Past online bullying still affects Miley Cyrus.
In the podcast “Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky,” the musician opened up about her experiences with body-shaming memes that circulated online during the earlier stages of her career.
“Back in 2013, there were several memes targeting my body, with people superimposing my head onto unflattering images,” Cyrus explained to Lewinsky in the episode, referencing her VMAs performance with Robin Thicke, where she wore a skin-toned bra and panties and famously twerked.
“Even now, when I wear a swimsuit, I am reminded of those images,” the former “Hannah Montana” star, now 32, continued. “I often choose very… you wouldn’t guess… quite modest swimwear.”
Cyrus then recalled a recent girls trip with friends and her sister, presumably referring to older sibling Brandi.
“Everyone else had on a string bikini except me; I was in shorts,” she explained, joking, “I don’t even know if people wear tankinis anymore. I was wearing like a tank top.”
Lewinsky chimes in, laughing, “You’re bringing them back!”
Apparently, Brandi commented on her choice of swimwear during the vacation. “My sister goes, ‘You’re you, so this is cool. I guess this is in now. You’re making this cool. But, like, you know this is what a grandma wears to the beach.’”
The remark struck a chord with “The Last Song” actress. “It just hit me, like oh, I’m still so insecure about those memes about my body.”
Lewinsky, who was the subject of much scrutiny in the ’90s when she was a White House intern having an affair with former president Bill Clinton, empathized.
“I feel that. People, when they’re behind a screen, they tend to disconnect from the fact that what they’re saying or seeing is actually about another human being,” she told the singer.
Though Cyrus may still feel insecure at times, that isn’t stopping her from baring her body in sheer and cutout dresses while on stage and at press events.
While promoting her new album, “Something Beautiful,” last week, the singer stepped out in New York City, rocking a completely see-through black number from Ludovic de Saint Sernin.
She’s just being Miley.
