Miley Cyrus’ ‘Brutal Infection’ Has Doctors Speculating About Root Cause

“I caught something,” Miley Cyrus recalled during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live last Thursday (May 29). “My leg began to disintegrate around the kneecap area.”

Fans of the 32-year-old singer were left worried after she revealed having to spend time in the ICU following the filming of her Something Beautiful visual album in October 2024. The shoot involved her rolling on the sidewalk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

By Thanksgiving, she was hospitalized with what she described as a “brutal infection.”

While the specifics of her illness weren’t disclosed, Cyrus said that her doctors suspected something environmental—bacterial contamination from contact with urban surfaces.

Miley Cyrus revealed she caught a skin infection that started to “disintegrate” her leg during shooting

Image credits: Kevin Mazur / Getty

Emergency medicine physician Dr. Ken Perry, based in Charleston, South Carolina, said in an interview that the singer’s symptoms sound consistent with a bacterial skin infection. 

“For most patients, these infections are contracted from open wounds in the skin or some other breach in the skin barrier,” he said.

According to Perry, even minor abrasions, when pressed against heavily trafficked public ground, can create ideal conditions for bacteria to spread.

Image credits: Jimmy Kimmel Live

“The foot traffic could easily contaminate the area with bacteria from animal or even human sources,” Perry said. 

“For the majority of the population, rolling around on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is not common behavior, but even casual interaction could put an individual in contact with harmful bacteria.”

Doctors believe her symptoms coincide with typical bacteria known as Streptococcus and Staphylococcus

Image credits: Jimmy Kimmel Live

Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, explained to the New York Post that Cyrus likely picked up a more typical skin infection—something caused by bacteria known as Streptococcus or Staphylococcus aureus.

Taking into consideration Cyrus’ description of the infection, which “disintegrated” her leg, the most likely culprits are two conditions caused by the aforementioned bacteria

Image credits: Miley Cyrus

On one hand there’s ecthyma, which usually begins with small ulcers that penetrate into the skin, eventually forming thick, dark crusts. These lesions can be painful, slow to heal, and typically appear on the legs or buttocks—which coincides with the star’s account.

“Walk of Fame” is currently the most consumed track of “Something Beautiful” worldwide. pic.twitter.com/EL7bLvMdt4

— Miley Cyrus Charts (@chartmileyc) May 30, 2025

Another possibility is impetigo, a more superficial skin infection. It’s caused by both Streptococcus or Staphylococcus, and starts as red sores or blisters, usually near the nose or mouth. 

These sores rupture easily and leave behind yellow or honey-colored crusts. Though milder than ecthyma, it’s known to be heavily contagious.

Cyrus was able to resume her work successfully, performing for the release of her newest album without issues

Image credits: Owen Lloyd (Not the actual photo)

For Dr. Perry, the earlier an infection is detected, the higher the chances of the recovery process being fast and painless.

“If the cut or scrape occurs while out in public, make sure to wash with soap and water,” he advised. “If an individual has a cut or some break in the skin, it is best to keep it covered, especially when out in public.”

Image credits: mileycyrus

He also begged people to be “fastidious with hygiene,” in order to reduce the chances of bacteria spreading to other areas of the body, and even harming someone else. 

Cyrus has since returned to performing. She appeared in Los Angeles this week for the release of her album Something Beautiful.

The accompanying performance left many fans overflowing with nostalgia, as she sang The Climb—a song from her Hannah Montana days—for the first time in years.

“Begging for an infection.” Netizens took to social media to share their thoughts on Cyrus’ anecdote

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