Hannah Montana fans have been left disappointed to find out that co-star Emily Osment won't feature in the forthcoming Disney+ anniversary special.
Osment, who played Lily alongside Miley Cyrus in the lead role, thanked fans for all of their support and love over the years.
The now 34-year-old had the role of Miley's BFF Lilly Truscott, from 2006 to 2011 in the smash-hit show.
The Disney cult classic is still much-loved amongst fans, and Cyrus has always expressed her appreciation and adoration for the role that made her a household name.
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Fans have been excitedly waiting to watch the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary reunion episode for a real nostalgia hit, but were stunned to find that Osment was missing, despite playing such a huge role in the show.
The anniversary episode is released today, March 24, on Disney+, and Osment broke the news of her absence on Instagram yesterday.
She was keen to stress there is no bad blood between her and any of the cast, but explained she has other prior commitments.
Osment was elsewhere, filming a series called George & Mandy’s First Marriage.
She shared in the video: “I wanted to say hello and thank you to everybody that has stuck by us for all these years."
She continued: “So grateful that you guys all still love this show. I'm so proud to be a part of it.”
In the caption, Osment added: “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.”
“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.”
According to Variety, Cyrus actually started teasing the existence of the anniversary show before it had been committed to or agreed upon, which might be one of the reasons Osment's schedule clashes.
The star told the outlet earlier this month that it's a trick she learned from her godmother, Dolly Parton: “I learned this terrible habit—but I actually think it was good advice—from Dolly.”
"She told me that if you want something to happen, promote it before it exists. Then no one can say no. So I just started promoting a Hannah Montana 20th-anniversary special that literally did not exist.”
Genius! Well, it certainly worked, and Disney executive Charlie Andrews confirmed as much to the outlet: “She willed it into existence, the thing she was adamant about is that this is for the fans. That has gone into literally every decision she has made.”
Hopefully it has been worth the wait, despite Osment's absence.
Topics: Miley Cyrus, Disney, Disney Plus, TV And Film, Celebrity
Jen Thomas