In a candid and surprising revelation, pop icon Miley Cyrus opened up about a peculiar and intense fear that casts a shadow over her holiday season and daily routines. The singer made the confession during her appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Thursday, leaving the host and audience intrigued by the depth of her aversion.
A Grinch-Level Aversion to Christmas Paper
Cyrus did not mince words, directly linking her discomfort to the festive period. "Christmas, I’m known as a little bit of a Grinch because I have a qualm with Christmas," she stated. "I hate paper." The timing of her admission was almost comically perfect, as a stray sheet on Kimmel's desk immediately triggered a gag reflex from the singer. She elaborated that the sensory issue is particularly acute during the colder months when people's hands are dry, and the interaction with paper becomes unbearable for her.
Daily Life Disrupted by a Simple Material
This is far more than a seasonal annoyance for Cyrus; it's a phobia that significantly impacts her everyday life. She revealed that the problem is "getting worse" and may require an intervention. Her aversion is so profound that she avoids even heartfelt, handwritten letters, admitting she simply does not open them. "When someone sends me a lovely letter, I just don’t even open it," she said, preferring digital communication like texts and emails.
The worst offender, according to Cyrus, is cardboard. "Someone gets an Amazon box, I’m sick, because the cardboard is the worst of it all," she explained. This specific fear has even influenced her personal life in a practical way, as she joked that it was a key reason she got engaged. "That’s really why I got engaged because I just make my fiancé open all the packages outside." Her fiancé is musician Maxx Morando, to whom she recently became engaged during a trip to Japan.
Finding Solutions and a Smooth Exception
Despite the severity of her phobia, Cyrus has found some workarounds. She expressed immense gratitude for the invention of the Kindle e-reader, which solved a major problem related to reading physical books and magazines. Furthermore, she noted one specific exception to her paper rule: "waxed paper, anything that’s got like a smooth surface, that’s better."
The interview also touched on her recent engagement news. Cyrus shared that Morando surprised her in Japan, a country she had purposely never visited to save it as a special place. "I am not easy to surprise because I love to control every situation, and I had completely surrendered," she recounted, highlighting the significance of the moment.
Ultimately, Miley Cyrus's disclosure provides a fascinating glimpse into the unexpected and very personal challenges that can affect even the biggest stars, turning a commonplace material into a source of genuine daily distress.