Miley Cyrus made it clear she won’t be told what to do on a red carpet, especially when it comes in the form of someone yelling.
The singer and actress had a brief but very public moment with photographers while attending the Palm Springs International Film Awards on Jan. 3, and the exchange quickly became the main talking point of the night.
Cyrus, 33, arrived at the event in an all-black look and sunglasses, stepping onto the red carpet with confidence.
In a video shared by Page Six that later went viral, she can be seen posing for photos with her sunglasses in hand before putting them on for another round of pictures.
That’s when one photographer loudly objected, repeatedly shouting, “No! No! No! No!” followed by audible groans from others nearby who appeared to want her to pose without the shades.
Instead of ignoring the comments, Cyrus addressed them directly.
“If you yell at me, I do the opposite,” she said calmly but firmly. She then added, “I’ve known you for 20 years. If you tell me not to put the glasses on, I put them on.”
Explaining her own version of reverse psychology, she continued, “Just go, ‘Oh, I love the glasses!’ and I’ll take the glasses off.”
After the exchange, Cyrus returned to the step-and-repeat and continued posing, this time holding the sunglasses in her hand.
The moment highlighted her long-standing comfort with setting boundaries in public spaces, especially ones she’s navigated for most of her life.
The night itself was a celebratory one for the Flowers singer.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival honoured her with the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award for her song Dream as One, featured in James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Cyrus also shared the evening with her mother, Tish Cyrus, with the two coordinating in matching all-black outfits.
Tish even mirrored her daughter’s look by pairing her blazer with sunglasses.
While the viral clip sparked plenty of chatter online, the message from Cyrus was simple and consistent with her reputation, respect goes both ways, and she won’t respond kindly to being yelled at.
