Cyrus wanted to mark a new chapter at the 2013 VMAs. She had shed her Disney Channel persona, and the single she performed at the show, "We Can't Stop," catered to listeners who had also grown up with her and were now clutching red cups. After performing the party anthem, Cyrus joined Thicke in performing his song "Blurred Lines."
They teased each other. She twerked. Viewers cringed. And though Cyrus says she received the brunt of the backlash, it would be Thicke who would later recede into infamy following a messy divorce and revelations about his treatment of Ratajkowski on the set of the "Blurred Lines" music video.