LOS ANGELES -- Last year she twerked in a teddy bear costume, but this year, Miley Cyrus has people talking in a different way after the MTV Video Music Awards.
On Sunday night, she won the award for video of the year for her 'Wrecking Ball' music video. But instead of going on stage to accept the award herself, she sent a young homeless man named Jesse up, to draw attention to youth homelessness.
Jesse Helt is originally from Salem.
'I am accepting this award on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States, who are starving, lost, and scared for their lives right now,' the 22-year-old said in his acceptance speech. 'I know this because I am one of these people.'
He went on to say that he has lived in homeless shelters all over Los Angeles.
'I've cleaned your hotel rooms, I've been an extra in your movies, I've been an extra in your life.'
Miley Cyrus poses with Oregon homeless man at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards(Photo: Instagram: mileycyrus)
He gave an interesting perspective, that the while the music industry will make over $7 million this year, 'outside these doors are 54,000 human beings who have no place to call home.' That is the number of homeless people in Los Angeles County, estimated in 2013.
Jesse said he has many of the same dreams that the award winners and other celebrities sitting in the audience have.
He told viewers they can learn more about the cause on Cyrus' Facebook page, where she launched a campaign during the show to raise funds to stop youth homelessness. She posted a video Sunday night describing her campaign, which focuses on My Friend's Place, a homeless center for young people in Hollywood. This is where she met Jesse on Tuesday, according to the Times.
Before the show started, Cyrus hinted at this surprise on the red carpet. 'I'm here with the chillest, coolest dude in the world,' Cyrus told her older half-sister, Brandi Cyrus. 'I have something up my sleeveless sleeve,' she joked. 'He's got it under his suit jacket.'
The Times says Cyrus paid to put Jesse up at the BLVD Hotel & Spa in Studio City, California for the VMA weekend, and bought him a nice outfit to wear onstage. They also rode to the ceremony together in her SUV.
And afterwards, they went to In-N-Out Burger for a celebratory meal.
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