Hannah Montana star Emily Osment reveals why she's not part of the show's 20th anniversary special

Actress Emily Osment has explained her notable absence from the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special amid Miley Cyrus’ playful ‘call-out’ of event host, Alex Cooper.

On Monday (March 23), 33-year-old Cyrus celebrated 20 years of her iconic Disney Channel character at the premier with fellow cast members Jason Earles, Moisés Arias, and her former on-screen love interest, Cody Linley.

“Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection,” said Cyrus. “The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”

Osment, who played Cyrus' best friend, Lily Truscott and her alter-ego, Lola Luftnagle on the show, did not appear in the TV reunion - and now we know why.

Taking to Instagram, the 34-year-old confirmed she was unable to take part due to filming a new series of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.

The American sitcom is the third instalment in The Big Bang Theory franchise and serves as a direct sequel to Young Sheldon.

Osment appears as weather reporter Amanda ‘Many’ McAllister, who is 11 years older than her husband, Georgie Cooper (played by Montana Jordan).

“We’re at Georgie & Mandy … and that’s why I was not able to be part of the 20-year reunion, because we are here shooting our show,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to say hello and thank you to everybody that has stuck by us for all these years. I’m so grateful that you guys all still love this show. I'm so proud to be a part of it.”

In the caption, the Almost Family favorite wrote that Hannah Montana had ‘changed’ her life, giving her ‘lifelong respect for this medium of comedy’.

“I’ve met thousands of HM fans over the years, fans that now have children watching this show and fans that literally work beside me every day, like Montana. He’s seen every episode, don’t be fooled,” she continued.

“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 goliath of a television show,” Osment said, thanking fans for letting her into their living rooms.

“I hope to still be there many years from now. Would never be where I am without you guys, working on another beautiful show I love so dearly.”

At the Los Angeles premiere of the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, Cyrus jokingly called host Cooper, 31, ‘weird’ for moving into her neighborhood.

The playful comment was made onstage at the El Capitan Theatre, with the ‘Flowers’ singer later thanking her for hosting the event.

“Alex being a super-fan, kinda creepy,” she joked. “She’s also my neighbor which is also creepy.

“She got money and then she moved next door to me so there was no other host… Yeah, it was weird.”

The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is available to stream on Disney+ from March 24.

What have the cast of Hannah Montana said about the reunion?

Jason Earles

The Jackson Stewart star attended the premier of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, but didn’t actually appear in the doc.

During an interview with Good Morning America, Earles said: “It’s incredible. It’s something that so many people identified with their childhoods and is still important to them 15 years later. It’s a very humbling, exciting thing to be a part of.”

The actor hosts an ‘unofficial Hannah Montana podcast’, called Best of Both Our Worlds, where he recently revealed that he lied about his age to land the role of Miley’s older brother.

“When I auditioned for the show, I lied to them and told them I was 18 years old,” Earles said.

“I remember one of the higherup network executives showed up on show night and he was like, ‘Hey, so, you’re 28.’ And I was like, ‘I am’.”

Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus, who starred as Robby Ray Stewart in the Disney hit, has shared several social media posts to promote the special.

“Robby Ray’s still the proudest dad in the world,” he wrote in one, while another said: “Some things never change… 20 years later and @mileycyrus still knows the old handshake trick.”

Mitchel Musso

While the Oliver Oken actor did not appear in the reunion, he shared an emotional Instagram post about the show.

Musso penned: “Hannah Montana wrapped around my heart and never really let go. We literally grew up with ya’ll — long days, crazy schedules, learning lines, cracking up between takes, and figuring out life while the cameras rolled.

“It taught me so many wonderful values, but the most important “to me” is that laughter can get you through the tough days. That confidence still sticks with me every single day. To all of you who grew up right alongside us… your friends were our friends too. Like my Lillypop said on her post, so many of you building families of your own and sharing this wonderful story with your kids is a gift beyond words. It’s been the coolest part of HM.

“Miley, Emily, Jason, Billy Ray, Moises, and the whole crew at Disney — you became my family through all the real, messy, beautiful moments. Thank you for believing in a goofy kid from Texas who wore some questionable outfits with a haircut like that. To all of you, thank you for welcoming me into your homes and hearts 20 years ago and still allowing me to be here today. I’m honored we get to share all of this together.”

Cody Linley

Cody Linley, who played heartthrob Jake Ryan in Hannah Montana, took to Instagram to share a video with fans.

“I'm really excited to celebrate with the cast and crew this coming Monday and honoured for all the fans worldwide who supported me and the show,” he said.

In the caption of his post, Linley penned: “It’s wild to think it’s been 20 years since Hannah Montana first aired… So grateful to be celebrating with the cast & crew this Monday, and even more grateful for all of YOU who’ve supported me over the years all around the world!

“Jake Ryan will always have a special place in my heart.”