Emily Osment has shared that she will not be a part of the upcoming "Hannah Montana" 20th-anniversary special, premiering on Disney+ on March 24. Despite this, there's no bad blood among the cast members. In a heartfelt Instagram video on March 23, Emily explained that she was unfortunately too busy filming her series "George & Mandy's First Marriage" to join the reunion. However, the 34-year-old actress still wanted to celebrate the milestone anniversary of the beloved show.
"I wanted to say hello and thank you to everybody that has stuck by us for all these years," she said. "I'm so grateful that you guys still love this show, and I'm so proud to be a part of it." Indeed, Emily shared how meaningful the experience was for her, writing in the caption, "Hannah Montana changed my life. It gave me a lifelong respect for this medium of comedy, and it taught me discipline, patience, timing, and respect while 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 a part of this once-in-a-generation television show," she continued. "Thank you for letting me into your living rooms, and I hope to still be there many years from now."
As for the anniversary special itself, as Miley Cyrus admitted, it didn't actually exist when she started teasing it to fans. "I learned this terrible habit—but I actually think it was good advice—from Dolly Parton," she told Variety in an interview published on March 18. "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." From there, the special revolved around the 33-year-old's vision.
"She willed it into existence," Disney executive Charlie Andrews told the outlet. "The thing she was adamant about is that this is for the fans. That has gone into literally every decision she has made."
