Noah Cyrus says she felt ‘stripped of identity’ when people would mention Miley to her as a child

Noah Cyrus has said she used to feel “stripped” of her identity when people would compare her to her sister, Miley Cyrus.

The singer-songwriter, who is seven years younger than Miley, was still a pre-teen when her sister became a famous child actor and singer through her work on Disney’s Hannah Montana.

Both are daughters of the country music star Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus, an actor and producer.

Speaking to Rolling Stone in a new interview, Cyrus recalled growing up in the shadow of her family’s fame.

“I had a really hard time being a part of a public family, and I struggled a bit with that because it wasn’t exactly my first choice,” she said.

“I had a hard time with people coming up to me and saying, ‘Are you Miley Cyrus’s little sister?’ or ‘Are you Hannah Montana’s little sister?’ I did not like that, and it stripped me of my own identity for a long time.”

Cyrus added that she would sometimes deny being Miley’s sister when asked.

Elsewhere in the interview, the artist spoke about her recovery from an addiction to prescription pills.

“It just kind of becomes this dark pit, bottomless pit,” she said. “I felt so guilty for not being there when my grandma died. I was there physically, but emotionally, I was not there. I couldn’t be.

“That was my big eye-opener: I was sitting alone, and I was scared, and I realised that all the people that I love and all the people that I need, I was the one pushing them away.”

Cyrus has since entered recovery, and opens up about addiction on her forthcoming debut LP The Hardest Part.

If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.

In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.