Miley Cyrus has spoken about how she has coped with the breakdown of her engagement to Liam Hemsworth.

The two celebrities were engaged after dating for some time, but they split in 2013.

Speaking in the new issue of Elle, Cyrus said that she is now "free" of actor Hemsworth - and feeling good about it, with the 'We Can't Stop' lady stating she is stronger than ever.

She said: “You know, I’m really thankful that I started on Disney. I got the most intense training. There’s times where I wish I could have just started as a new artist, but the world has kind of allowed me to do that. I feel really lucky - a lot of kid stars get all crazy or stuck in what they were, so they can’t actually become what they’re meant to be.

"When I went through a really intense breakup - you know, I was engaged - and when I was with him or when I was on Disney, the thing that gave me the most anxiety was not knowing what to do with myself when Disney wasn’t there to carry me anymore or if I didn’t have him. And now I’m free of both of those things, and I’m fine. Like, I lay in bed at night by myself and I’m totally okay, and that’s so much stronger than the person three years ago, who would have thought they would have died if they didn’t have a boyfriend.”

Cyrus meanwhile also spoke about how some fans have credited her with giving them the confidence to come out as gay, saying:

“I have guys and girls that come out, and they’re like, ‘The only reason I’m able to admit that I’m gay is because you’ve made me feel like that’s okay.’ That is so intense, because that is a part of this generation - it wasn’t always accepted - and I feel like I am a big part of that change. Or they know that I’ve struggled with depression, and that helped them get over theirs. That gives me a big purpose - a reason to wake up in the morning that’s bigger than to put on my f*cking feathers and my little outfits."