Emily Osment has explained her absence from the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary reunion, clarifying that scheduling conflicts prevented her participation despite her continued appreciation for the show and its audience.

The actress, who portrayed Lilly Truscott alongside Miley Cyrus’ Miley Stewart from 2006 to 2011, confirmed she would not appear in the Disney+ special released on March 24.

Speaking in an Instagram video shared on March 23, Osment said she was unable to attend due to ongoing filming commitments for her series George & Mandy’s First Marriage.

“I wanted to say hello and thank you to everybody that has stuck by us for all these years,” she said. “So grateful that you guys all still love this show. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”

Osment also reflected on the long-term impact of the series on her career, describing it as a formative experience. “Hannah Montana changed my life, it gave me a lifelong respect for this medium of comedy, it taught me discipline, patience, timing and respect working in an adult space so young.”

“I can’t tell you what your sweet messages mean to me and how lucky I feel to have been apart of this once in a generation goliath of a television show,” she continued. “Thank you for letting me into your living rooms and I hope to still be there many years from now.”

Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus revealed that the anniversary special itself initially did not exist when she began discussing it publicly. “I learned this terrible habit—but I actually think it was good advice—from Dolly [Parton],” she said. “She told me that if you want something to happen, promote it before it exists. Then no one can say no.”

Disney executive Charlie Andrews added, “She willed it into existence. The thing she was adamant about is that this is for the fans. That has gone into literally every decision she has made.”