Dolly Parton defends goddaughter Miley Cyrus

Must be nice to have Dolly Parton on your side! Miley Cyrus' godmother -- the legendary Parton -- discussed the 20-year-old singer in a recent interview with the London Evening Standard, and revealed that she's advised the "We Can't Stop" singer throughout her career.

"I've loved her through the years and watched her grow up, and I've seen how smart she is and how talented she is," the 67-year-old said during the interview. "I don't think people really realize yet what a great singer and writer she really is. She's just trying to find her own place and wings and learn to fly."

Cyrus has had a whirlwind few months stemming from her raunchy performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards with R&B crooner Robin Thicke in late August. Since then, she's split from fiance Liam Hemsworth in September after 4 years together, talked about her weed use in a cover spread with Rolling Stone and hosted "Saturday Night Live."

"It's not easy being young," the "9 to 5" singer continued. "It's hard to know what to do. You've almost got to sacrifice your damn soul just to get anything done."

Though the "Wrecking Ball" singer has sparked controversy with some of her choices while trying to shed her Disney image, Parton trusts that Cyrus knows what she's doing in the long-run. "If she needs my opinion on something I will surely give it and there have been times we've talked."

She added, "But I would never dream of calling her and saying, 'Well, why are you doing this?' or, 'You shouldn't do this or that.' I know that she has thought this all through. We'll let her go and do her own thing."

Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter has also opened up about Parton in previous years, often citing her as one of her biggest influences. "My top five favorite female singers -- No. 1 has to be Dolly Parton because she's my godmother and because she's a real-life Barbie doll and I love that. She is a legend and her music I think represents my whole childhood," Cyrus said during an interview with Billboard in July. "She's just the most special person in the world."