Emie WangMiley Cyrus received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, 22 May 2026, at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard. Her fiancé Maxx Morando, mother Tish Cyrus, sister Brandi Cyrus, and close friends including Anya Taylor-Joy and Donatella Versace attended the ceremony. Cyrus gave an emotional speech about legacy and referenced her latest song, "Walk of Fame," from her 2025 album Something Beautiful. For the 32-year-old artist who has moved from Disney child star to Grammy-winning adult artist, the ceremony crystallises a career arc that touches nearly every aspect of entertainment law: name rights, image licensing, historic IP ownership, and legacy brand value.
From Hannah Montana to Hollywood Boulevard: A Legal Journey
The timing could not be more resonant for Australian fans. March 2026 saw Disney+ release a Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special — a global event that brought Cyrus back as her most iconic character for the first time in over a decade. The special, available on Disney+ Australia, has reignited discussion about who controls the most valuable elements of that cultural IP.
Hannah Montana — the character, the show, the name — is Disney's intellectual property, not Miley Cyrus's. This is the standard outcome for a performer who created a character under contract as a minor. Disney owns the name "Hannah Montana," the show's content, and the character's visual identity. Cyrus owns her own name, likeness, and voice. The distinction matters practically and commercially.
According to IP Australia, the Australian Government's intellectual property rights authority, a trade mark protects names, logos, and other signs that distinguish one entity's goods or services from another's. For entertainers, this means their stage name, their personal image, and their signature are protectable assets — but only the ones they personally hold rights to.
What the Walk of Fame Star Actually Means Legally
The Hollywood Walk of Fame star is a celebrity honour, not a legal instrument. It does not confer intellectual property rights, transfer ownership of anything, or expand a celebrity's legal protections. But it is a milestone that prompts a practical question: are the commercial assets attached to Miley Cyrus's name and likeness properly protected?
For any artist at this level of public recognition, the answer involves several layers.
Stage name and trademark. Cyrus legally changed her name from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Ray Cyrus. "Miley Cyrus" is both her legal name and her commercial brand. It is trademarked for entertainment services and merchandise in multiple jurisdictions. Australian entertainers, influencers, and personal brand businesses often overlook this step: using a name or persona commercially without trademark registration leaves it vulnerable to registration by third parties, which has happened to multiple Australian creators.
Image rights and right of publicity. Australian law does not have a unified "right of publicity" in the way some US states do. However, the Australian Consumer Law prohibits misleading or deceptive conduct — which has been used to challenge unauthorised commercial use of a celebrity's image or name. A legal specialist in entertainment and intellectual property can advise on how this applies to endorsements, AI-generated likenesses, and licensed merchandise.
Posthumous rights and estate planning. The Walk of Fame ceremony and Cyrus's speech about "legacy" raise a subject that entertainment lawyers increasingly discuss with long-career artists: what happens to your name, image, and intellectual property after death? As seen in our coverage of the Michael Jackson biopic featuring Jaafar Jackson, the posthumous management of an artist's estate — including who controls their name in films, music releases, and merchandise — is determined by the estate planning done during their lifetime.
For Australian Entertainers, Influencers, and Content Creators
Cyrus is a global superstar with a team of lawyers, agents, and business managers protecting her interests. But the legal principles underpinning her commercial situation apply at every level of the entertainment and creator economy — including Australian musicians, actors, podcasters, and social media creators.
Three questions are worth asking regardless of your current commercial scale:
1. Is your stage name or brand name registered as a trade mark? IP Australia's trade mark registration process is accessible, costs between $250 and $330 per class of goods or services, and provides 10-year protection renewable indefinitely. If you are building a commercial identity under any name other than your legal name, registration is foundational.
2. Do you understand what you signed away? Contracts for record deals, TV appearances, social media partnerships, and brand endorsements routinely include clauses affecting who owns content created under the agreement, who can use your name and likeness in marketing materials, and what happens if the relationship ends. The Hannah Montana situation — where Disney retains the IP from a performance Cyrus gave as a child — reflects what can happen when these details are agreed under contracts that were not negotiated with the performer's long-term commercial interests as the priority.
3. What is your plan for long-term brand protection? An artist or influencer who builds real commercial value should have an intellectual property strategy, not just a content strategy. This means registered marks, clear contractual boundaries on licensing, and estate planning documentation that specifies how your commercial identity is to be managed after death.
Why Australian Fans Are Watching — and What to Take From It
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Disney+ Australia drew significant viewership from a generation of Australians who grew up with the show. Cyrus's trajectory — from Disney contract performer to independent, award-winning artist — is one of the most closely watched career evolutions in recent entertainment history.
For Australian fans in the entertainment industry or creator economy, her story offers a practical lens on the legal architecture of commercial identity. The emotional moment on Hollywood Boulevard today is the visible part. The intellectual property decisions, the contract negotiations, the trademark registrations, and the estate planning that protect that identity are the invisible work.
An entertainment lawyer can help Australian creators at any stage — from early-career musicians negotiating their first recording agreement to established influencers building merchandise and licensing income — structure their commercial rights in a way that protects long-term value rather than trading it away for short-term visibility.
Note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified entertainment or intellectual property lawyer for advice specific to your situation.
