Dolly Parton inspired Miley Cyrus' heartbreaking reason she 'refuses' to have children

Miley Cyrus has opened up about her personal life choices, drawing inspiration from her godmother and country music legend Dolly Parton.

The 31-year-old songstress, known for her smash hit Flowers, has been candid about her decision not to have children, a stance she shares with her mentor Dolly.

"I love being an adult. I have a rule that I don't look up or don't look down at anyone," she shared.

"I just look, which allows me the clarity to see the world for what it really is and people for who they really are."

In her interview with W magazine, Miley delved deeper into her thoughts on motherhood.

"I look at myself almost every day in the mirror and I say, 'I am a woman'," she shared. "I'm 31 now, and I still don't know if I want kids or not.

"I feel like my fans kind of are my kids in some way. I've heard Dolly say that too, because she didn't have kids."

The Wrecking Ball singer, who had a brief marriage with actor Liam Hemsworth, has faced scrutiny over her choice to postpone motherhood.

"We're expected to keep the planet populated. And when that isn't a part of our plan or our purpose, there is so much judgement and anger that they try to make and change laws to force it upon you - even if you become pregnant in a violent situation," Miley told Elle magazine in 2019.

"If you don't want children, people feel sorry for you, like you're a cold, heartless b***h who's not capable of love."

The star expressed her disillusionment with societal expectations of family life shortly before her split from Liam, emphasising self-love and self-prioritisation.

"Why are we trained that love means putting yourself second and those you love first? If you love yourself, then what? You come first," she declared.

Miley, one of six siblings, voiced her outrage at the pressures women face regarding motherhood, vowing not to have children until the environment significantly improves.

"We're getting handed a piece-of-s**t planet, and I refuse to hand that down to my child... I'm not bringing in another person to deal with that," she passionately stated.

Country legend Dolly also opened up about her decision not to have children recently, attributing it to prioritising her career.

In a candid interview with Saga magazine last year, the 78-year-old revealed that starting a family was never part of the plan for her and husband Carl Thomas Dean, and she harbours no regrets.

"I had my career and my music and I was travelling. If I'd had kids, I'd have stayed at home with them.

"I'm sure and worried myself to death about them," she elaborated. "I always say God didn't let me have children so that all kids could be mine," Dolly affectionately added.

An AI tool was used to bring an extra layer to this story.