Tragic Details About Miley And Billy Ray Cyrus' Relationship

After watching the father-daughter duo on the Disney Channel for five years, fans were heartbroken to find out that "Hannah Montana" co-stars Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus were no longer on speaking terms in 2022. Although Miley's feud with Billy Ray is seemingly over – as the "Flowers" singer reconciled with the country music star in 2025 – the road to forgiveness was rocky and riddled with betrayal, leaving time to heal some of the more devastating wounds.

Dealing with familial struggles in the public eye can undoubtedly be a tragedy in itself, and while Miley and Billy Ray's relationship had always had its ups and downs, things would inevitably take a turn for the worse. Billy Ray and his ex-wife, Tish Cyrus, had quite a rocky relationship timeline, having filed for divorce multiple times over the years before finally calling it quits in 2022. Having gone through her own divorce from actor Liam Hemsworth two years prior, it would make sense that Miley would have an especially hard time grappling with the aftermath of her parents' breakup. Speaking exclusively to The List, founder and chief divorce educator at PartWise, Kimberly Miller, emphasizes how "for adult children, [divorce] can be even more challenging as the adult child forms relationships of their own." It wouldn't help that Billy Ray is no stranger to controversies, making their estrangement unsurprising, but no less hard to watch.

While Miley Cyrus and her siblings knew their parents' marriage wouldn't last, the process of moving on proved to be more challenging than any of them could have predicted. Within a year of the divorce, both Tish Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus would find love again, with drastically different results and reception. Billy Ray met Firerose on the set of "Hannah Montana" back in the late 2000s, maintaining a friendship with her over the years before rushing into a doomed marriage in September 2023. Miley reportedly wasn't a fan of the pairing, and aside from possibly feeling weird about the couple's 28-year age difference, the artist was allegedly worried about the financial consequences of forgoing a prenup. Additionally, it's never been confirmed whether she attended the ceremony, fueling further rumors that Miley was against Billy Ray and Firerose's relationship. She was, however, the maid of honor at her mother's wedding with "Prison Break" actor Dominic Purcell that same year.

While an insider told Radar Online that Miley favored her mother for "act[ing] like a grown-up," having to choose between which parent and relationship to support couldn't have been easy. PartWise's Kimberly Miller noted that "Divorce can certainly affect family dynamics, especially between parents and children, and it's common to feel caught in the middle." Regardless of how protective Miley might have felt over her mother, ultimately, she just wanted to see both her parents happy and healthy.

Despite dealing with a public feud with her father, Miley Cyrus managed to win her first Grammy award in 2024 for her hit song, "Flowers," as well as an award for Record of the Year. During her acceptance speech, she made sure to shout out her mother, sister Brandi Cyrus, and her beauty team before ending with a pointed: "I don't think I forgot anyone ... but I might have forgotten underwear. Bye!" (via YouTube). The notable absence of her father in the speech had raised eyebrows, especially considering so much of her career before this point had been performing alongside Billy Ray.

According to PartWise's Kimberly Miller, "It can be tricky for adult children who might be looked at as a friend or ally to one or both parents. Even unwittingly, parents may pressure their adult child to take sides, so it's important for the child to resist." While Miley might not have done a lot of resisting in this moment, she still deserved all the flowers she received for years of hard work and dedication to her craft. Billy Ray also noticeably did not post any congratulations to his daughter online, seemingly aware of her pointed omission of him from her speech.

While Miley's sister, Noah Cyrus, has publicly always admired her older sister, she seemingly took her father's side of the feud at its peak. Although rumors that Tish Cyrus had stolen her new husband, Dominic Purcell, from her daughter fanned the flames, Noah was also seemingly absent from Miley's Grammy acceptance speech in 2024. Noah would also go on to very publicly post Instagram stories of her and brother Braison at Walmart the day of Tish's wedding, epitomizing the idea that a house divided cannot stand.

Billy Ray Cyrus wouldn't help keep the family together either, making his opinions on his ex-wife known in scathing leaked audio files. The recordings and text messages obtained by Us Weekly depicted the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer calling Tish a "sk*nk," especially as it relates to their children who attended her wedding ceremony: "The other two children who were there, she was impregnated by two different men, and had those two children before she met Billy Ray." Brandi and Trace Cyrus had both been adopted by Billy Ray upon his marriage to Tish, and were raised by the artist their whole lives. Miley naturally would go on to feel protective of not only her mother, but also her half-siblings, adding a sibling rivalry to an already tragic list of misfortunes befalling the Cyrus family.

Billy Ray Cyrus reportedly cried when Miley Cyrus showed him her song, "Secrets" – a ballad inspired by their rift and estrangement. A gift to her father for his 64th birthday in October 2025, "Secrets" was an olive branch that sought to reconcile the pair in lieu of a serious conversation. In an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning," Miley would explain how "We didn't feel that there needed to be a whole conversation, because him and I just communicate better through song."

PartWise's Kimberly Miller explains that "Tools like music, travel, or shared traditions can offer a way for a parent and child to connect without feeling a need to discuss the divorce or be drawn into the conflict. Personal, meaningful connections between a parent and child of divorce can pave the way for understanding and empathy without polarization or alienation." It seems that Miley and Billy Ray managed to come back together through a love of music, ultimately helping to repair their relationship — even if there were tears involved. Miley revealed to CBS that she had rarely seen her father cry until he listened to "Secrets," emphasizing that this rare moment of emotion truly showcased the power of their shared art.

While the family managed to get to a substantially more peaceful place, it'll seemingly take a lot more than a song to fully heal their relationship. Billy Ray Cyrus has openly praised Miley Cyrus on Instagram, even congratulating the award-winning artist on her engagement to musician Maxx Morando in one December 2025 post. Despite his public support of his daughter, Miley has remained rather quiet about their reconciliation on her page. Aside from commenting "love you dad" on his post about her song "Secrets," Miley has kept her public online communication with her dad to a minimum. It probably doesn't help that their reconciliation fueled rumors that she had switched sides in the feud, scrutinizing her relationship with Tish Cyrus.

Billy Ray is now in a happy relationship with "Austin Powers" star Elizabeth Hurley, and Miley is noticeably a lot happier for it. In an interview with The New York Times, Miley opened up about her father's new relationship and her own personal journey with healing, saying: "As I've gotten older, I'm respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents ... I think I took on some of my mom's hurt as my own because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain." PartWise's Kimberly Miller advises that "the best approach for children of all ages is to focus on the personal relationship with each parent, separate from their relational conflict, and give oneself space to process emotions without pressure to take sides." It seems that despite the tragedy, Miley and Billy Ray are on the road to healthy and meaningful recovery.