The Voice Injury That Almost Cost Miley Cyrus Her Singing Career

In 2018, wildfires in California burned down thousands of homes — including Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth's abode in Malibu. Cyrus revealed on "The Howard Stern Show" that the traumatic experience impacted her vocal cords severely. "When we lost our house in Malibu — which if you listen to my voice pre-and post-fire, they're very different," she said (per Capital FM). "So that trauma really affected my voice." The singer also lost her songbook to the flames, which contained all of her handwritten songs.

Of the devastating loss, Cyrus also gave thanks to her longtime partner and now ex-husband. She was working in South Africa during the fire, so the task of rounding up their pets was left to Hemsworth. "I call him my survival partner now," Cyrus told Howard Stern (via Entertainment Tonight). "He was so incredible — he got all the animals out in his truck. He put two pigs in crates, which I tell you is so hard."

Despite the fire derailing their lives, the couple didn't delay their nuptials. Hemsworth and Cyrus's secret wedding took place in her Tennessee hometown, where they relocated after the fire. Unfortunately, their marriage was short-lived, and they announced their split just eight months later. Cyrus didn't return to Malibu for nearly four years afterward, until 2022.