How Miley Cyrus Hid Her Drug Spending Without Her Accountant Noticing

Miley Cyrus has been sober since 2019, but the road there was anything but tidy. Even when the headlines were all glitter and chart-toppers, there was a whole other spreadsheet behind the scenes, one that did not include “drug spending” as a line item.

On the Every Single Album podcast, Cyrus explained how she kept her drug costs from her accountant while she was working on Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz. Instead of writing it plainly, she and her team referred to the drugs as “vintage clothes,” then used the kind of casual, plausible-sounding story that could survive a quick question during touring.

And yes, she had a whole cover routine ready, including the “delicate” John Lennon T-shirt explanation that kept the accountant guessing.

Miley Cyrus has maintained sobriety since 2019.

For all the glitter and chart-toppers, there was a period in her life that was a lot less polished. Like many child stars, Cyrus had her run-in with substance use.

She’s talked openly about it in interviews over the years—not to shock anyone, but more to explain where she’s been and how far she’s come. Back in 2020, during a conversation with Zane Lowe, she made it clear she wasn’t trying to preach sobriety to anyone else.

“I don’t think that everyone has to be sober,” she said. “Everyone has to do what’s best for them.” For her, though, the tipping point was simple. “I don’t have a problem with drinking; I have a problem with the decisions I make once I go past [a certain] level. I’ve just been wanting to wake up 100 percent, 100 percent of the time.”GC Images

The singer recently revealed how she kept her drug expenses hidden from her accountant.

That clarity didn’t come overnight. In fact, during the time she was working on her 2015 album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, things looked very different.

Drugs weren’t just in the picture—they were a regular expense. And apparently, her accountant was none the wiser, thanks to a bit of creative phrasing.

On a recent episode of the Every Single Album podcast, Cyrus admitted that she used to hide her drug spending by labeling it as something more socially acceptable and less likely to raise financial red flags.

“The drugs were the biggest cost, which to hide those from my accountant, we called them vintage clothes,” she said. “And so she would get these checks. That happens on touring all the time.”

She even had a go-to explanation ready.

“Every time she saw me, she'd be like, ‘Where's that, like, $15,000 original John Lennon T-shirt that you bought?’ It’s like, ‘Oh, it’s upstairs. We just really want to protect it. It’s really delicate.’”GC Images

That’s when the “Miley” brand started looking like a full-on logistics operation, with “vintage clothes” standing in for her biggest expense.

The more touring checks came in, the more her accountant apparently accepted the “it’s upstairs, it’s delicate” logic.

Cyrus, now 32, laughed while recalling just how many “vintage clothes” she claimed to have bought that year. “I bought a lot of vintage clothes that year,” she added with a smirk.

But beneath the humor is something else—a genuine sense of relief that she made it through.

“I’m so glad I survived that time in my life,” she said. “I would definitely not encourage anyone else to go this hard, but the fact that I got through it, I’m very glad I got to do it.”

There’s no polished ending here, no grand message. Just a woman who’s seen both sides of fame and figured out how to stand on her terms.

Miley Cyrus might not have all the answers, but she’s clearly come a long way from writing off her drug budget as thrifted band tees, and she’s not pretending otherwise.

While Miley kept her accountant in the dark, Harry Styles dropped his first song in four years, and everyone had opinions.

Then Cyrus recalled how often the questions popped up, like the $15,000 original John Lennon T-shirt that was somehow always “protected.”

Miley Cyrus's experience reflects a broader trend among child stars, often facing immense pressures from fame that can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Young celebrities often lack the guidance and structure needed during formative years. This absence can result in emotional turbulence and poor financial decisions, as they may seek escape through substances or lavish spending.

To avoid pitfalls, regular financial education workshops can also equip young individuals with the tools they need to make sound investments and avoid reckless spending habits.

By the time she’s laughing about it now, the whole thing reads like a crime scene for budgets, where the evidence was just… phrased differently.

The narrative of Miley Cyrus highlights the critical need for robust support systems for child stars navigating the tumultuous landscape of fame. The article underscores how the pressures of growing up in the spotlight can lead to significant emotional and financial challenges. Investing in mental health resources and financial education is essential to foster resilience among these young celebrities. By promoting financial literacy, the entertainment industry can empower individuals like Cyrus to manage their wealth effectively and make informed decisions that extend beyond their initial rise to fame. Ultimately, prioritizing these aspects can facilitate healthier transitions into adulthood for child stars, allowing them to thrive rather than merely survive in a demanding environment.

The wildest part is that the accountant never noticed, because Miley’s excuses were dressed better than the truth.

If the math behind Miley’s spending feels chaotic, check out album covers that distract from the music instead of selling it.