Miley Cyrus Opens Up About Experimenting with Drugs and Alcohol Before Getting Sober

Don't judge a book by its cover, especially if that book is Miley Cyrus.

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, the musician opens up about living life in the spotlight -- and how different things can really be behind closed doors. Speaking with the magazine about the media and public's perception of her based on her appearance, Cyrus said that while it looked like she had it all together in 2018, that was definitely not the case.

"In early 2018, I was playing house, which felt really good at the time," she explained, referring to her marriage to Liam Hemsworth. "Now I have this healthy perspective that I didn't have before. I learned a lot about what I can and cannot  be for someone else and what I can and cannot accept for myself."

While she said "it looked like I was living some fairy tale," she wasn't, at all.

"At that time, my experimentation with drugs and booze and the circle of people around me was not fulfilling or sustainable or ever going to get me to my fullest potential and purpose," she continued.

She said her own physical appearance played into that perception as well, as she had graduated from pixie cut to longer, flowing hair.

"There's an idea that during the 'Younger Now' era, I was pure," she continued, referring to her 2017 album. "The media likes to have my hair or what I look like be the point of reference for my sanity. 'Hair's long and blond, she's sane right now. She cannot be f--ked up on drugs. It's when her hair is  painted or she's growing out her armpit hair [that] she's on drugs."

Her relationship with Hemsworth also played into that public persona that everything was A-OK in her life.

"'She's got a man. She's living in a house playing wife.' Dude, I was way more off my path at that time than any of the times before where my sanity was being questioned," she continued. "I don't like ever saying anything in a very solid concrete way, but right now I have been focusing on sobriety as I wanted to wake up 100 percent, 100 percent of the time. If I've ever learned to balance myself and to not take it too far, I would. But so far any time I've messed with that, it hasn't gotten me what I want."

Cyrus explained she started to get sober just after her 26th birthday, because she didn't want to join the so-called 27 Club, a group of musicians who died at the age of 27. She said that by the time 27 rolled around, she was "pretty much fully sober" -- but admits she did fall off the wagon with drinking during the pandemic.

"Haven't done drugs in years," she clarified. "Honestly, I never try to, again, be a fortune-teller. I try to not be naive. Things f--king happen. But from sitting here with you right now, I would say it would have to be a cold day in hell for me to relapse on drugs."

She caveated, however, that she "would possibly take mushrooms" should the situation present itself -- and, while she "really, really liked" taking ayahuasca, she doesn't think she'll ever do it again.

"I take my mental and physical health a lot more seriously than I ever did before," she added.

Miley's latest album, "Plastic Hearts," is out now.