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Miley Cyrus Wanted to Go Topless at VMAs, Plus Other Revelations from “The Movement”

Miley Cyrus in her documentary "The Movement"
Miley Cyrus in her documentary "The Movement"

Oh, what might have been! Following a slew of titillating previews, Miley: The Movement, Miley Cyrus' behind-the-scenes, confessional documentary, debuted at long last on MTV on Wednesday, Oct. 2. In the hour-long special, the 20-year-old superstar allows cameras to follow her in the months leading up to her now-legendary MTV Video Music Awards performance — which, had the former Disney starlet had her way, would been even a topless affair. Cyrus revealed the tidbit to collaborator and idol Britney Spears, of all people.

Related: PHOTOS: Miley's raciest outfits of all time

"You're not going to be topless onstage, are you?" a concerned Spears, 31, asked of the then-upcoming VMAs show. "I tried but I don't think MTV's going to allow it," Cyrus replied.

Even as Spears chuckled nervously, Cyrus gushed to the elder pop star that she was her ultimate inspiration. "The way that I am about Britney, that's the way a lot of people are about me," she said. "She was my first record. I was a lot of peoples' first album. First idol. I'll be a diehard fan for Britney always."

Related: PHOTOS: How Britney has grown up

Liam Hemsworth's ex-fiancee adds that she was particularly inspired by Spears' most radical sexual-awakening moment in the spotlight: "I remember when the 'I'm a Slave 4 U' video came out," she told Spears. "[My dad Billy Ray Cyrus] shook his head and was like 'My 8 year old is going to turn into a stripper.' But I wanted to be hot like Britney and that's still what girls wanna do in the pop industry."

Related: PHOTOS: Former Disney stars gone bad

Cyrus also shared her thoughts on the public obsession with former child stars. "There's something about watching people grow up," the one-time Hannah Montana star observed. "People get a connection, they feel like they really know you and get really entitled … Most people don't have their kid photos put up and then [people are] like, 'She changed.' Well, yeah!"

Related: PHOTOS: Who else has gone topless?

These days — post-VMAs, post "Wrecking Ball" video — Cyrus told the cameras that she feels even more emboldened. "I really feel like things have really begun after the VMAs. I feel like people are now getting to see what the movement is all about. 'We've got to be soldiers and marching at the same time, and smiling about it. For me a movement has to be something that, like, represents taking over the world."

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