Star Miley Cyrus, her real-life and screen dad Billy Ray Cyrus, and Disney pal Selena Gomez are all set to appear in the return to the Disney Channel classic.

Emily Osment explains why she isn’t taking part in the *Hannah Montana *20th anniversary special

Star Miley Cyrus, her real-life and screen dad Billy Ray Cyrus, and Disney pal Selena Gomez are all set to appear in the return to the Disney Channel classic.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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March 23, 2026 11:03 p.m. ET

Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment on 'Hannah Montana'. Credit:

DISNEY CHANNEL/JOEL WARREN

Emily Osment played an indelible role on *Hannah Montana*. But you won't find her on the upcoming 20th anniversary special dedicated to the Disney Channel classic.

"*Hannah Montana* changed my life, it gave me a lifelong respect for this medium of comedy, it taught me discipline, patience, timing and respect working in an adult space so young," Osment wrote in the caption of a video shared to her Instagram on Monday.

The *Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special *premieres on Disney+ on Tuesday. Star Miley Cyrus, her parents, Tish Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus, who played offscreen and onscreen roles on the series, respectively, and Miley's fellow Disney kid and *Hannah *alum Selena Gomez, are all set to appear on the special. But it hasn't been clear whether other significant series stars, like Osment, Jason Earles, and Mitchel Musso will be joining them.

Osment's post clarifies that she will not be ringing in 20 years of *Hannah Montana *with special host Alex Cooper, of the *Call Her Daddy *podcast. But not for any dubious or dramatic reason.

The actress explained in the video that her commitment to *Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage*, a spinoff of *Big Bang Theory *spinoff *Young Sheldon*, will prevent her from participating. Osment banters with her *Georgie & Mandy *costar Montana Jordan on the series set in the video, joking, "Did you know that tomorrow is the 20-year anniversary? That's how old I am."

Montana Jordan and Emily Osment in 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage'.

Troy Harvey/CBS

"We're at the *Georgie & Mandy *set, and that's why I was not able to be a part of the 20-year reunion," she continued. Osment treated her 2.4 million followers to a 360-degree view of the bustling sitcom set, adding, "I wanted to say hello and thank you to everybody that has stuck by us for all these years. I'm so grateful that you guys all still love this show. I'm so proud to be a part of it."

Osment was even more effusive regarding her place in Disney Channel history in the remaining portion of the caption.

"I've met thousands of [*Hannah Montana*] fans over the years, fans that now have children watching this show and fans that literally work beside me every day, like Montana. He's seen every episode, don't be fooled. I can't tell you what your sweet messages mean to me and how lucky I feel to have been apart of this once in a generation goliath of a television show," she continued. "Thank you for letting me into your living rooms and I hope to still be there many years from now. Would never be where I am without you guys, working on another beautiful show I love so dearly."

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She signed the post with the name of her character on the series, Lilly.

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*Hannah Montana *aired for four seasons on the Disney Channel, from 2006 to 2010. Osment played Lilly Truscott, the best friend of Cyrus' character Miley Stewart, a happy-go-lucky teenage girl who lives a secret double life as the titular world-famous pop star.

Of all the core *Hannah Montana *cast members, Osment's participation was perhaps the least certain in any potential reunion, reboot, or revival. Though her Lilly was essential to the series, Osment's offscreen relationship with Cyrus has been the subject of some speculation.

Miley Cyrus, Mitchel Musson, and Emily Osment on 'Hannah Montana'.

DISNEY CHANNEL/BYRON COHEN

In her 2009 autobiography co-authored with Hilary Liftin, Cyrus noted (per Elite Daily) that she and Osment "tried to be friends, we really did, but it always ended in a fight... Our characters got along so well, why couldn't we act the same in real life?"

But Cyrus and Osment appeared on great terms as recently as 2020, when the *Georgie & Mandy *star joined Cyrus on an Instagram Live in what the latter dubbed "the reunion of the decade." Cyrus referred to her former costar as her "badass best friend" and commended her animal and environmental activism.

The *Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special* will premiere on Disney+ and Hulu on March 24.

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