The singer, whose parents — dad Billy Ray Cyrus and mom Tish Cyrus — divorced in 2020, opened up about her father’s new relationship with actress and model Elizabeth Hurley. The new couple made their relationship public on Easter Sunday. This declaration follows closely on the heels of Billy Ray’s finalizing his divorce from Firerose in August 2024. Miley discussed her vision for this change in a recent interview with The New York Times. She shared what she’s learned about how her relationship with her dad has changed throughout her life.
Miley acknowledged the complexities of their relationship, stating, “My dad and I have had our challenges over the years.” Even with these challenges, she was thankful for the healing that has occurred in their family. Now, in my thirties, family is my first priority, before anything else. I’ll be fortunate to live long enough to see time build those bridges and all that time do in healing,” she added.
The Cyrus family has been through the wringer in recent years. Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, Miley’s mom, were married from 1993 to divorce in 2022. Tish has since remarried actor Dominic Purcell. Miley Cyrus’ youngest sibling, she has an older brother, Braison, and an older sister, Noah. She has two older step-siblings, Brandi and Trace, from Tish’s first marriage, whom Billy Ray adopted.
Miley acknowledged the emotional complexities surrounding her parents’ relationships, noting, “As I’ve gotten older, I’m respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents.” She realized how much she internalized her mother’s despair about the marriage and the influence that had on her own vision.
The close-knit family reunited over the weekend for Braison’s 31st birthday. At the same time, speculation of a feud between Miley and her father still buzzed. Yet amid all this disappointment, Miley’s sentiments point toward a tentative rapprochement. As she put it, “I’m just trying to be grown up about it. At first it’s hard because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, ‘Yes, that’s your dad, but that’s just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy.’ My child self has caught up.
In multiple interviews, Billy Ray Cyrus has praised his daughter for her ability to grow and thrive through these transitions. In an emotional Mother’s Day tribute on Instagram, his pride shined through. I’m really proud of Miley and her guts and her courage…her wisdom and strength to bring it when our family needed it most.”
Miley’s reflections on her father’s new relationship and their evolving dynamic underscore the complexities of family life in the celebrity spotlight. As Miley writes her way through her thirties, she’s quick to remind listeners that family will always be her first love.
