"I think that the world needs to get over the fact that she was Hannah Montana when she was 16," Lovato told Couric of Cyrus' former Disney character. "I guess my transition was a little easier because I went straight to rehab. I didn't twerk, I just went to rehab," she said with a laugh.
The Sonny with a Chance actress completed a stint in rehab from October 2010 to January 2011 for physical and emotional issues. She later revealed that she suffered from bulimia, self-injury and self-medicating, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during treatment.
Though Cyrus' recent raunchy performances and wardrobe choices have attracted a lot of criticism, Lovato told Couric that she believes Cyrus should be free to do whatever she wants.
"I think she knows what she's doing. A lot of artists take that route of shock value, and that's totally fine and that's great. But I think she has such an incredible voice that's overshadowed by some of the things that she's doing," Lovato explained. "It's her journey. She's having fun. She's being who she is. I'll always love her. She's been one of my friends since I was 14. But everyone is on their different journeys right now and she's doing that and she's having fun . . . so power to her."
