Miley Cyrus reveals stage panic attack after double trauma

Miley Cyrus has recalled suffering an “actual anxiety attack” in front of a huge crowd after the death of close friend Taylor Hawkins and a terrifying emergency aboard her plane left her struggling to cope.

The 33-year-old singer described the 2022 episode during a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, following the release of her 10th studio album, Bass Persuades, on Friday (18.09.26).

Miley said the anxiety attack struck while she was performing in Mexico during a period in which she was adjusting to huge audiences again following the Covid pandemic and dealing with the death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor, who was 50 when he died.

Miley said: “I was saying to the crowd, ‘I’m having an anxiety attack’. And they were like, ‘Hell yeah, we’re having anxiety attacks’.”

She said returning to enormous live audiences after the restrictions imposed during the pandemic had contributed to what she experienced.

Miley added: “I guess it wasn’t so much anxiety, as I realise now in hindsight; it was just a build-up of the cocktail of chaos, you could say. Living through a global pandemic like everyone else.”

The episode came after a traumatic period for the Flowers singer involving Taylor, who died in Bogotá, Colombia, in March 2022 while Foo Fighters were touring South America.

Miley and Taylor had become friends and neighbours during the pandemic, and she told Zane that the pair were “in alignment” musically.

Shortly before his death, Miley had been travelling to Paraguay for the Asunciónico music festival, where both she and Foo Fighters were due to perform.

Her plane was struck by lightning during the journey and forced to make an emergency landing.

Miley described the incident as “super terrifying” and said Taylor was the first person she called afterwards.

She said: “He’s like, ‘Man, I’m here. It’s raining, but like the show’s going to be sick’. And the next day he was gone.”

Miley subsequently paid tribute to Taylor during a performance in Brazil, dedicating her song Angels Like You to Taylor.

The singer has now returned to the spotlight with Bass Persuades, released on 18 September, continuing a career that began with her starring role as Miley Stewart in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana.