Best of Both Worlds Tour - Body Double Scandal

Body Double Scandal

In January 2008, numerous videos, which captured the change from Cyrus to the body double during the performance of "We Got the Party", surfaced on the Internet. The videos made point on how, during the song's bridge, backup dancers crowded her as a crew member covered Cyrus with a sheet and ushered her into a trap door and, through the adjacent side, a body double exited. She wore the same wardrobe as Cyrus and used the blonde wig and large glasses to obscure her face. Furthermore, live cameras barely captured her and did not film close-ups as she danced, ran hectically, and lip-synched the rest of "We Got the Party". Numerous fans and critics became outraged and questioned whether Cyrus lip-synched the entire show during the Best of Both Worlds Tour. One fan expressed his or her irritation to OK! magazine, stating, "The whole time this was happening Miley's vocals were still playing. The new imposter had her back turned while she danced, trying to hide that fact that she was not Miley Cyrus. At this instant I became very suspicious. Needless to say I was furious! I paid good money to see the concert. I was disappointed and I felt like I was played for a fool."

On January 11, 2008, Cyrus' publicist confirmed that the videos were legit and that the body double, backup dancer Ashlee Nino, was being used throughout all stops of the Best of Both Worlds Tour. PMK Public Relations issued a statement that explained the purposes for using the body double:

To help speed the transition from Hannah to Miley, there is a production element during the performance of 'We Got the Party' incorporating a body double for Miley. After Hannah has completed the featured verse on the duet with the Jonas Brothers, a body double appears approximately one to two minutes prior to the end of the song in order to allow Miley to remove the Hannah wig and costume and transform into Miley for her solo set. Other than during this very brief transitional moment in the show, Miley performs live during the entirety of both the Hannah and Miley segments of the concert.

Cyrus later explained that vocals were strategically focused on the Jonas Brothers for the latter portions of "We Got the Party", so that the body double did not have much activity regarding singing. She also said it usually took over an hour and half to transition from Miley to Hannah and viceversa on the television series set, while on tour it took approximately two minutes. With the additional time, Cyrus was able to rest briefly, drink water, and prepare for the remainder of the show.