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Dolly Parton said she’s “always proud,” of goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
Cyrus, 33, recently read a fax she’d received from Parton after scoring the title character role in Hannah Montana. The Disney Legend and her mother, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, 58, reminisced on the message from Parton during the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, which premiered earlier this week.
“The Dolly fax I love!” Cyrus beamed she and her mom looked at it together. She went on to read the fax, which appears to be dated March 27, 2021, aloud in Parton’s signature Southern accent: “Hey Miley! When I got those beautiful flowers, I didn’t realize it was the 15th anniversary of Hannah Montana. …I’m so proud of you. Just know I’m always proud to be your Aunt Dolly, whether it’s on Hannah Montana or at Thompson Station [a town in Williamson County, Tennessee, outside of Nashville].”
“I love you, Aunt Dolly,” Cyrus said as she finished reading the fax.
Parton, 80, shared the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special clip on TikTok on Thursday (March 26), and said she’s “always proud to be your Aunt Dolly.” Parton played Aunt Dolly when she appeared as a guest star on the iconic Disney sitcom, which premiered on March 24, 2006. Cyrus played a teen living a secret double life as a famous pop star on the series. The finale aired on January 16, 2011.
Parton, who is known for communicating via fax (Cyrus previously spoke about the unusual method of communication in a W Magazine interview and during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers), said earlier this week that she was “reminiscing on my time as Aunt Dolly. When Hannah Montana came on the air and [Miley Cyrus], my little goddaughter, was the star of it, I was so proud of her. I thought she was sensational.” The legendary country artist told Cyrus in a throwback clip from the show, “Darlin’, I am so sorry. I just forget sometimes. Being a teenage girl is harder than walking through a balloon shop with a porcupine purse.”
“Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career—she’s also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values,” Cyrus shared in 2021, when Parton was named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people. “At her core, she is the definition of a humanitarian. She’s also the world’s most impeccably purposeful walking contradiction, having developed her iconic look after being inspired by the town tramp. Now she’s known as a saintly, even godlike, figure. ...There’s a theory that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but I wish everyone had the chance to meet Dolly Parton, because she’s even better than your sparkliest dreams. She may be my fairy godmother, but I think she’s that to everyone else too. I am happy to share her with the world.”