LOS ANGELES — Emily Osment says there was a simple reason Lilly Truscott was missing from Disney+’s “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special”: she was working. In a video shared ahead of the special’s debut, Osment said she could not join the reunion because she was filming CBS’ “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” March 24, 2026.
As explained in reporting from E! News, Osment said her current series kept her from participating. In the Instagram caption highlighted by Entertainment Weekly, she added that “Hannah Montana changed my life,” and said the series gave her discipline, patience and comic timing.
Why Emily Osment says Lilly was missing from the Hannah Montana special
That explanation matters because Disney never framed the anniversary program as a full-cast sitcom reunion. In Disney’s official announcement, the company said the special would premiere March 24, exactly 20 years after the series debuted on Disney Channel, with Miley Cyrus revisiting the show’s music, sets and memories in an interview with Alex Cooper. Cyrus said the “Hannahversary” was her way of celebrating and thanking fans.
Coverage from The Associated Press described the finished special as a live-audience retrospective built around archival footage, musical numbers and guest appearances. And Disney+’s official listing names Miley Cyrus, Alex Cooper, Tish Cyrus-Purcell and Billy Ray Cyrus among the featured stars, underscoring that the project is centered first on Cyrus’ own retrospective.
Emily Osment and the longer “Hannah Montana” story
The absence also stands out because Osment and Cyrus have been speaking warmly about the show for years. In a 2020 reflection, Osment said the series pushed her into adulthood earlier than she expected. That same spring, she and Cyrus had a virtual “Hannah Montana” reunion on Instagram Live. And in Cyrus’ 15th-anniversary letter, she said Osment, Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles had become her family.
That history makes Lilly’s absence read more like a scheduling conflict than a feud. On the original series, Lilly was not a minor side character. She was the friend who knew Miley’s secret, carried much of the school-life comedy and helped give the show its emotional center. When fans noticed she was missing, they were really noticing that one of the franchise’s core relationships was missing, too.
What Emily Osment’s absence means for fans
For viewers hoping to see every major player back in the same room, the special may still feel incomplete. But Osment’s own explanation points to something much less dramatic than a snub: 20 years after “Hannah Montana” began, she skipped the nostalgia event because she was still on another sitcom set.
That may be the most fitting full-circle detail of all. Osment has made clear that Lilly still matters to her, and even from a distance, she used the anniversary to remind fans that the show remains a formative part of her career.
