You Probably Missed Miley's New Breakup Tattoo At The VMAs

Just when I thought her live performance of "Slide Away" was just about all of the emotional trauma my heart could physically take, Miley Cyrus' tattoo after her Liam Hemsworth breakup managed to shred my heart into pieces all over again. Cyrus debuted her new tat at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. While the lyrics aren't her own, there's a definite chance many of us have heard them before.

The new ink on her left bicep reads, “My head was feeling scared, but my heart was feeling free," in a delicate black script. If you think it sounds familiar but you can't quite put your finger on where you've heard the phrase, it's a lyric from a song by the Pixies called “The Thing," off their 1990 album Velouria.

The lyric evokes as similar vibe to "Slide Away," a song that Cyrus released after her split that appears to be inspired by Hemsworth. Both songs include lyrics about fearing moving on, while knowing that it's the right thing to do. (Cyrus sings, "Think I'm gonna miss these harbor lights/But it's time to let go.")

The tattoo was done by LA-based tattoo artist Winter Stone, who gave fans a close-up look at the ink on Instagram on Aug. 27.

A rep for Cyrus confirmed her split from Hemsworth on Aug. 10. “Liam and Miley have agreed to separate at this time,” the rep told People in a statement. “Ever-evolving, changing as partners and individuals, they have decided this is what’s best while they both focus on themselves and careers. They still remain dedicated parents to all of their animals they share while lovingly taking this time apart. Please respect their process and privacy.”

That same day Entertainment Tonight released pictures of Cyrus reportedly making out with Kaitlynn Carter in Italy.

Hemsworth took to Instagram on Aug. 12 to confirm the split on his end. "Hi all," he began in the caption of a picture of the sunset. "Just a quick note to say that Miley and I have recently separated and I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward. This is a private matter and I have not made, nor will I be making, any comments to any journalists or media outlets. Any reported quotes attributed to me are false. Peace and Love."

Nine days later, Hemsworth reportedly filed for divorce.

The next day, Cyrus took to Twitter to set the record straight and make it clear that there is no big secret behind her split from Hemsworth. "The truth is, once Liam & I reconciled, I meant it, & I was committed," she wrote in a series of tweets. "There are NO secrets to uncover here. I’ve learned from every experience in my life. I’m not perfect, I don’t want to be, it’s boring. I’ve grown up in front of you, but the bottom line is, I HAVE GROWN UP."

She ended her series of tweets by highlighting the love she'll always have for Hemsworth:

Here's to both of them living their truth and moving forward with their lives.