Emily Osment addressed the reunion on Instagram before the premiere
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special premiered on March 24, 2026, but two important cast members were missing from both the special and the premiere. Actors Emily Osment, who played Lilly Truscott, and Mitchel Musso, who played Oliver Oken, were not present in the show. Their absence quickly caught fans’ attention because both of them were central to the original Disney Channel series as the protagonist’s best friends.
Emily Osment said filming commitments kept her from attending the special
On March 23, 2026, one day before the special premiered, the actress posted a video on Instagram reflecting on her time on Hannah Montana and explaining why she could not participate. Osment said she was busy filming Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage with her co-star Montana Jordan. In her caption, she said the show changed her life and taught her discipline, patience, timing, and respect while working at a young age. She also thanked the fans for their kind messages and mentioned she felt lucky to have been a part of such a massive show.
Emily Osment says she will not attend the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary premiere due to the filming of her new show but leaves a message for the fans:
“Hannah Montana changed my life… Thank you for letting me into your living rooms and I hope to still be there many years from… pic.twitter.com/01EqfMIEGT
— Miley Edition (@MileyEdition) March 23, 2026
“I can’t tell you what your sweet messages mean to me and how lucky I feel to have been apart [sic] of this once in a generation goliath of a television show. Thank you for letting me into your living rooms and 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.”
Mitchel Musso honored the show’s legacy on a similar post
Musso also shared a message on Instagram and posted several throwback photos from his time on the hit Disney series. He said that Hannah Montana stayed close to his heart and shared that the experience taught him valuable lessons, especially the power of laughter during difficult times. He also mentioned Osment’s post and said it meant a great deal to see fans now sharing the show with their own children. However, the actor did not clearly explain his from the special, leaving curious fans wondering what the exact reason was.
Mitchel Musso dedicates a post for the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary.
“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,… pic.twitter.com/rd0W929Hdj
— Miley Edition (@MileyEdition) March 24, 2026
“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,” he said.
Most of the cast did not appear in the special, but they did attend the premiere
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. And while the show is known for its iconic characters, most of them did not appear in the anniversary special. The only exception was Billy Ray Cyrus, who shared a segment with Miley/Hannah and re-enacted an iconic scene of the show with his daughter. Instead, the focus seemed to be mostly on Miley and Hannah, Alex Cooper as a host, and guest appearances from Selena Gomez and Chappell Roan. However, original cast members Jason Earles, Moisés Arias, Shanica Knowles, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, and Cody Linley did attend the premiere, despite not making an appearance in the special.
